


Hidden in Plain Sight

by flametwirler



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-13 14:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1229332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flametwirler/pseuds/flametwirler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suspicious circumstances lead Tsunade to send Sakura on furtive missions, scouting their own territory while in disguise. Where potential betrayal and strange new meetings mix, can she hold up under all the changes her work brings or things she uncovers? KakaSaku</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Assignment

Hidden in Plain Sight

~ ~ ~

Chapter 1: Assignment

~ ~ ~

Sakura walked into the Hokage’s office and sighed; it was a wreck. Again. Leaning down, she started collecting all the paperwork Tsunade had sloughed off the desk in hopes that whoever next touched it would then be stuck with finishing and filing it. Unfortunately enough, this was her most successful method of shoving her least favorite bits onto other people. 

The man sitting opposite the Hokage sent Sakura a querulous look, but upon seeing the woman in charge wasn’t paying her any attention, neither did he. Turning back to face the blonde woman sitting across the desk, he continued his rant. 

Sakura rolled her eyes behind his back. 

No one took much notice of her in the office – at least not after Tsunade had made it quite apparent that not only did she shove all the unfavorable work onto her apprentice, which often included very sensitive information, but the Hokage tended to share all other information with her anyhow, if for no other reason than she liked to hear herself talk. 

Of course Sakura knew there were real reasons behind Tsunade’s discussions aside from vanity – for instance the fact that talking about things aloud helped her mull through them or that she actually _liked_  having input, especially when she came to an impasse on difficult problems – but many people wouldn’t be comfortable knowing Sakura had such a say in things. She suspected the main reason, though, was that Tsunade, for her part, didn’t like appearing too all-around responsible. She did have her image as a drunk to maintain, after all. 

She stifled a sigh as she saw Tsunade's hand twitching toward her sake drawer. Not a good meeting then. She herself tended to drown out the words when it was a post-mission client meeting; there was never anything of importance to them. They could only be one of two things: praises, which she would occasionally listen in to if she was having a bad day - though usually her thoughts were too occupied with other things - or complaints, as this one obviously was. 

"You're saying the genin team took too long to clear the debris from the road, is that right?" Tsunade droned, clearly at her wits end with this man but trying, for the sake of the elders who always prodded, bribed, and begged for her to behave with more dignity, to not let him see her obvious irritation. 

Sakura thought she was doing well just with not pitching the man out the window. It invariably happened at least once a month; there were even betting pools set up around it now. 

"Yes." He crossed his arms, indignant. 

"If our genin are so notoriously 'subpar', as you put it, why waste the money and hire them at all? Why not just do the work yourself if you could have done it so much more capably?" 

"Are you kidding?" he spluttered. "That would have taken me all day, if not longer!" 

Tsunade eyed him levelly and Sakura knew what was coming. "Yet you expected three twelve year olds to get it done in one hour? I had no idea you thought yourself so much less equipped to deal with such a situation than a group of adolescents - one of which is a very petite girl. I suppose we had best be taking some teams into all the nearby villages to reinstate some strength-training regimen. I know its normal to be more lax during peacetime, but I had no idea it had degraded to this point. Thank you for letting me know. In fact," she hummed, fingernails drumming the desk thoughtfully, "I think I'll name the program after you and use your example to let everyone know why we need to reinstate such a program after so long." 

The man blanched and waved his hands in front of him. "Oh, um, no, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure the fault was mine. I may have underestimated the time frame just a bit." 

But Tsunade just shook her head. "No, no," she said, miming him, "this is for the common welfare. I mean, three twelve-year-olds against a fit," Sakura struggled not to laugh, "man in his prime? Its a real health concern. Then again... When was the last time you had a _full_ physical?" The way the blonde said 'full' left the bite of gloves snapping in the air. 

"No, no, quite all right," he reiterated, already up and out of his chair and backing toward the door. "The mistake must be all mine, I assure you. No need to go to so much trouble. Our village is hearty like you wouldn't believe and they wouldn't want you going out of your way on our account. I'm sorry to have bothered you for so long, but I assure you it was nothing more than a simple error in judgment on my part. You will hear nothing but favorable reports circulating from our village, on all accounts. Good day then, Hokage-sama." 

With a bow to Tsunade and a general nod in Sakura's direction he was out the door, shutting it with finality behind him as if afraid they'd follow him out. 

Sakura let out a rueful chuckle and shook her head while Tsunade sighed. Really, once you had a handle on male pride they were so much easier to deal with. 

"I'm half-tempted to follow through on it. If we actually had the manpower..." 

Her laughter petering out, Sakura half-heartedly resumed her tasks. Tsunade obviously had something on her mind, but she wasn't ready to get to the point just yet. 

After a few minutes of companionable, if expectant silence, Tsunade finally snapped. “Sakura, sit down,” she ordered, already pouring herself a generous glass of sake. "Your pacing is making me tense." 

Sakura doubted that doing her job and generally tidying up the place could qualify as 'pacing', but she knew well enough not to tangle with her shishou when she was in this kind of mood. Besides, before she could say anything, Tsunade asked her to call Kotetsu in. He and Izumo were extensively involved in the daily running of the mill at this point, and thus were never far from shouting range of the hokage's door. 

"Bring Shizune," she grumbled at the man as soon as he was in the door. 

“She’s doing rounds in the hospital for another hour-” 

She bent a look on him that let them both know that she was perfectly aware of Shizune's location. “I said get. Her. NOW!” The decibel level increased with each word and only years of inoculation kept both him and Sakura from wincing at it. 

“Ah, yes ma’am, right away.” 

The door snapped shut behind him and Sakura heard the beat of his rapid footfalls as he hurried away. 

Tsunade didn’t say a word until Shizune arrived but Sakura could tell from her keyed-up state that this was about more than just the pompous idiot from before. When Shizune entered, before the brunette could even give voice to a greeting, Tsunade held up a finger. 

“Wards.” 

That single word spurred Shizune into a flurry of motion and caused Sakura to sit up straight in her chair. The brunette applied small slips of paper to the door and its frame before moving on to the window, paintings, and even the walls and floors. The listening wards, once fully in place, would trap their voices inside until the seal was broken, hopefully preventing any external eavesdropping, whether intentional or not. 

Yet for all their value and convenience, the wards were rarely used on missions. Each setup, from where to place each individual ward to what needed to be written on them, had to take into account the dimensions of the room, how many entrances it had, and even the types of material used in its construction. The casing of any particular locale could take days, if not longer, and they weren’t foolproof besides. 

Shizune, however, had been making wards for this room long enough that she knew where its malleable edges were and assured them that, though she couldn’t make the wards foolproof, it would at least alert them instantaneously in the event of a security breach. It couldn’t tell them exactly who had broken through or where they’d done it from, but even that small extra bit was a marvelous feat. 

Finally satisfied with her setup, Shizune nodded to herself and pulled up a third chair. “What’s this about?” she asked as she sat. 

The Hokage seemed to sag in her chair with the assurance of their security. Sometimes Sakura forgot how old Tsunade really was, how much she’d seen. Even at the age of twenty-three Sakura had seen more than she figured most people should if they wished to retain their sanity, so she couldn’t imagine what her shishou had to deal with. 

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “Maybe I’m seeing things, maybe there’s nothing there at all, but I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s going on here.” 

Sakura shivered. A shinobi’s sixth sense was never something to take lightly, especially if that shinobi happened to be the leader of the village. In their line of work, it was far better to be overly paranoid than the reverse. 

Sighing, Tsunade reached into her sake drawer and pulled out two more cups, pouring a generous amount for each of them. The presence of the liquor, however, had the opposite effect than intended - it made both Sakura and Shizune even more tense. After all, Tsunade didn't often share from her stash. 

This definitely wasn't going to be good. 

“Maybe you’re seeing things because you’re hitting the sake too hard lately?” Sakura joked sardonically, attempting some levity. Tsunade’s flat stare told her how well it worked. The young woman sighed. “What are you seeing that’s making you suspicious?” 

The blonde slammed down her bottle, uncaring of the way it made the contents slosh over the edge onto some of her papers. No doubt Sakura would be set to transcribing those later so whoever they were handed off to didn’t smell the alcohol on them. 

“Some of the skirmishes we’ve had lately haven’t felt right.” 

“When do they ever?” Shizune quipped. They were a shinobi nation, thus war was always in the back of everyone’s minds. They were living in a time of relative peace but minor battles were always being fought, with or without their daimyo’s approval. 

"In the past four months we've had nine casualties." She looked expectantly at the other two. 

Shizune glanced at her questioningly. "I'm sorry to say so, but that in itself is nothing too out of the ordinary." During peace they could go months without a casualty and then other times ten shinobi would die in a month. There were so many factors: the types of missions being assigned, how many people were on each mission, and occasionally just plain luck. Sometimes the numbers were high, sometimes low, but they all balanced out in the end. Nine in four months unfortunately wasn't high enough to raise any suspicions on its own. 

Tsunade acknowledged the point. "Three of those deaths were from a nine-man mission dealing with the Watanabe uprising. The ones that concern me, however, are the others. Four of the remaining six were on solo missions, and the last two were a pair of ANBU." She shook her head as if to clear it. "Now I can't know if those last six were hit because of their low numbers and lack of backup. However I don't like the fact that these unexplained deaths, the ones that don't have direct evidence of who killed our shinobi, had no survivors.." 

The words fell like leaden lumps around the room, reverberating through them. No survivors meant no one left to identify their attackers. It wasn’t as uncommon an occurrence as any of them would hope, but for there to be enough similar attacks for Tsunade to see the beginnings of a pattern was definitely a bad omen. 

Sakura had heard of the deaths, though only knew the details of one of them. A single-man mission, the nin had been attacked on the route home, after the mission was thought over. It had been assumed he'd been tailed by his target, who hadn't liked that his stolen scroll had been reappropriated. 

Unfortunately, given their profession, it still wasn't that uncommon a circumstance, even given their alliances with the other shinobi nations. Those treaties, however, did nothing to influence the rogues, mercenaries, missing-nin, and general thugs that made up the majority of their mission combatants. 

"There's no direct indication, though, that makes you suspicious? That this is anything other than business as usual?" Shizune asked. 

"No," Tsunade acknowledged. "Just a culmination of little things plus a gut feeling. The solo mission deaths - there could be no survivors simply because it was easier for the enemy to attack single shinobi. It could simply be convenience and coincidence, pure chance that so many happened at around the same time. But by that same token, it could be they were attacked _because_ it was easier to leave no survivors. It's impossible to know for sure." 

“Did any of them bear signs of interrogation?” Sakura asked into the heavy room. 

“No.” 

On one hand it was a relief to know none of their shinobi had been subjected to torture, or that none of their sensitive secrets could have been leaked. On the other hand it meant the enemy did not want information; they wanted death. Typically that meant the attacks were motivated by revenge or hate, something that was much harder to deal with and counterbalance than simple information gathering. 

"And of course there's the fact that the last two deaths were ANBU operatives..." 

She didn’t have to spell it out. ANBU missions were certainly of a more highly classified status than those of non-ANBU nature – S-class notwithstanding – but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of people who knew about them. While the operatives weren’t allowed to tell their friends and family about the exact details of their tasks, those people usually still knew when they were set to leave. 

While solo missions meant typically only the Hokage, the ANBU director, the assigned nin and the nin’s team leader knew the specifics, team missions were altogether a different story. They required directives and supply requisitions, which assured that forms which had at least the basic information of date and location of the op, passed through numerous other hands. There were missives and logistics, other loose ends that had to be tied up within the ANBU compound itself, and by the end of it more than just a handful of people knew about a team mission.  

Normally that wasn’t a salient issue, but under the circumstances… 

Shizune nodded thoughtfully. "Having ANBU operatives attacked raises the bar. It could mean..." She trailed off, unsure if she was willing to go ahead and voice it aloud. 

“It could mean any number of things,” Tsunade bit out in aggravation, rubbing at her temples. “This team was assaulted closer to Konoha than any of the others, so the attack could be blamed on proximity making the team easier to find." 

Tsunade began by running through a report of many of the recent attacks and other suspicious happenings. “Of course it is entirely possible that these events are randomized and completely unrelated – not like we don’t have enough enemies, let alone mercenaries that wish to make some quick cash or just like the carnage, or rogue nin who wish for some form of revenge. Still, something doesn’t sit right about it with me. What about you two?” 

Shizune nodded. “Even if it is random, circumstantial, or coincidental, it still bears checking out to see if we can expect more of the same in the coming months.” 

It almost didn’t need to be spoken aloud. When running a shinobi village it was never allowable to take chances – everything needed to be checked and double checked. But it was also hard to predict the changing fortunes of the future, and if there were any indicators around as to what could be expected, it was always wise to follow them through in order to see if they would provide any beneficial information. 

“Right,” Sakura added. “If nothing else we can flush out any rogues out there – we don’t really have the time and manpower to be dealing with them on missions.” Especially _time-sensitive_ missions, as had been the case for one of the teams that had been first attacked. Needless to say the hiring party hadn’t been happy, had refused to pay despite the replacements sent, and would be ruining the reputation of their village to anyone who would listen. Most definitely not good for business. 

“Of course we’re sending someone,” Tsunade hissed. Typically when the Hokage got crankier than usual it was because she desperately needed more alcohol in her system - Sakura swore it was slowly replacing her blood- or she was worried more than usual, even given her position. Sakura had the sinking feeling she was dealing with both. “But there’s a deeper issue than that. The timing of these attacks has been far too convenient for my liking. Haven’t the two of you noticed that?” 

Sakura bit back the retort that came immediately to her lips. Of course they’d noticed – you didn’t get this far in their line of work, heck you didn’t stay alive in their line of work for long if you didn’t notice things like that. But still… “If there are organized groups working out there against us then they could have a spy network set up, reporting ahead to where our teams are heading. If it’s running well enough it could give them plenty of time to prepare an ambush, especially given that most teams aren’t racing straight out of our gate here, anxious to get to their destinations.”

Tsunade cut her off with a slash of her hand. “And if they aren’t organized groups?” She let the question dangle, waiting for them to see the possibilities, the problems. 

Shizune caught on first. After all, she'd already been considering it. “A set team of mercenaries used to working together, with an intelligent or talented leader, could feasibly form plans well enough to set these traps. If the group isn’t a group at all or is, as you say, ‘unorganized’, then we’d have to assume they couldn’t achieve these results without extra aid.” 

“Aid?” Sakura questioned, her gaze shooting between the two women. 

“Inside information,” Tsunade sighed. 

“She means we have to consider the possibility, however unlikely, of a spy inside the walls, or a mole or other type of informant,” Shizune supplied. 

“A mole?!” Sakura echoed hoarsely, falling back in her chair. She couldn’t imagine a fellow shinobi having such a mind-set. Who could betray their village, their own comrades and friends? Then her mind went flashed through uncomfortable images of Danzou, Itachi…Sasuke, and she sat quietly back in her seat. 

Tsunade shook her head. “It is the least likely possibility, and we almost always have it as a lingering suspicion for any control situations, but that means that any investigating we do in this case will have to be more secretive than is the norm because it’s in our own backyard.” 

“Where are you going with this?” Shizune asked thoughtfully. “Normally you’d just send a group of ANBU elite that have top-clearance.” 

The Hokage stood abruptly, slamming her fist down on the desk. “That’s the problem! Because one of the attacks was made on a team of ANBU it compromises them, as there's no way of knowing if it was chance or by design. If there is someone feeding out information then they might have knowledge of ANBU movements.” 

Agitated, she started pacing around the room. “No, it’ll have to be a small group, or even better a single individual, who can conduct the investigation in complete secrecy.” 

“What about Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura ventured. 

Tsunade’s eyes lit as she considered this, then she blew out a heavy breath as she shook her head. “Wouldn’t work.” 

Sakura huffed. “Why not?” 

The Hokage chuckled at her apprentice’s umbrage, wondering if it was from having her suggestion rejected or whether she was offended for her former teacher’s sake. 

“It would be best if we didn’t send anyone with known ANBU associations.” 

“Because if there is either a mole or one of the enemy has managed to infiltrate as a spy then they might be keeping tabs on their movements in particular,” Shizune finished. 

“Exactly,” Tsunade continued. “That’s what I’d do if I were spying on an enemy encampment. First watch the top shinobi to see if their patterns change, giving any indication that they might be on to you. In our case it would make even more sense to pay extra attention to ANBU considering they’re sent on the more sensitive missions. However, none of them really bother to keep their identities hidden while in the village, do they?” 

“Yes, but what does that have to do with Kakashi-sensei? He hasn’t been ANBU for years, and the association was long enough ago that it would take awhile to come to the attention of any informant.” 

Tsunade started ticking items off on her fingers. “The information _would_ come up at some point: he’s one of our elite and he’s the famous Copy Ninja – that’s enough to draw anyone’s attention. He has a very distinctive fighting style, disguising him would be difficult since fiddling with anything covering his left eye would be a give-away, and he’s more widely known than most of our shinobi given that, well, how many bingo books is he in now?” She sighed. “You get the point.”

“So what you’re saying,” Sakura commented dryly, “is that you want to issue a high ranking, top-secret mission, and that you can’t use any of your best shinobi for it because they’re all too noticeable. Does that about sum it up?” 

Tsunade snorted. Maybe now they knew what she was up against, hell, what it was like to be Hokage on a daily basis. 

“Well of course it’ll have to be a strong, capable, and trustworthy shinobi,” Shizune supplied, glancing furtively at Sakura. “The question is how to send one of our nin to skulk around the area repeatedly without setting up a bunch of red flags to anyone who may be watching.” 

They all sat in silence, minds working furiously to take in the implications and try to figure out a solution that wouldn’t wind up putting the whole village at risk. In the interim, Shizune sent a couple more speculative glances Sakura's way, and the younger woman was becoming too distracted by the motion to think about what she was _supposed_ to be thinking about. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. 

"What is it?" she huffed, blowing a stray strand of pink hair out of her eyes. "Just tell me already so I can get back to focusing on the task at hand." 

"Ah," Tsunade hummed, "so you see it too, Shizune." 

The brunette nodded, shining eyes focused on Sakura. 

"W-what am I missing?" Sakura asked. 

"It was the conclusion I'd reached as well," Tsunade continued, ignoring Sakura, "but I needed to make sure I wasn't reaching too far or missing something important." 

Groaning, Sakura griped, "Will you two please tell me what you're going on about, or should I assume you went simultaneously insane?" 

Chuckling, Shizune shook her head as she declared, "It's you." 

Sakura didn't even have time to quirk an eyebrow before Tsunade clarified, "You're doing it, Sakura." 

It took a minute for Sakura to process what Tsunade had said. 

"M-me?" she stuttered. "Why in the world makes you think I'd be a good pick for this? No offense, shishou, but if we're aiming for subtlety and secrecy, I can hardly see how I'd be a good fit. As your apprentice I'm in the public eye - most everyone can recognize me - plus my fighting techniques are rather identifiable. Not to mention I have hair that all but screams out 'Here I am! Here I am!'" 

"You act like you think I haven't thought this through," Tsunade said in a dangerous tone, her nails tapping out a rhythm against the top of her desk. 

Usually that voice sent shinobi scurrying, but Sakura had more than become used to Tsunade's posturing and tactics. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "As long as you weren't drunk when you thought it up." 

"What was that?" Tsunade asked sharply as Shizune smothered a laugh. 

"Nothing, shishou," Sakura replied, all smiles and saccharine sweetness. 

Tsunade grunted. 

"But," Sakura continued, "without using your heightened intellect to explain to this lowly peon the reasons for such a choice, how can I but see it as doomed to failure?" 

At this Tsunade cracked a smile. "You hang out with Naruto too much. Sometimes I wonder if I should be training him to become the hokage's jester instead." 

"Only if he could have the title of the strongest jester in the world," she said with mock gravity. 

Tsunade chuckled. "I'm sure that could be arranged. It's not like there are many others to compete with for that particular title. If they did decide to have fights for ranking then we could create a festival around it, and then maybe I'd be remembered for some positive contribution to society." 

"Now, come on..." Sakura said in protest, Shizune accompanying her, but Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. 

"The reason you're the best choice is because you have all of the most important qualifications. I know I can trust you, you're intelligent, and I can meet with you whenever I like without giving anything away." 

"That's it?" she asked, clearly unimpressed. "How do you plan to explain my absences when I'm out looking at the sites?" 

"Medical missions," Shizune interjected, as if that should be self-evident. "Checking the health status of outlying villages for potential endemic threats, teaching seminars... You know, the usual." 

"But those are such short missions, usually only two or three days. I'd only have enough time to check one site at a time, and even then not as thoroughly as I'd like." 

Tsunade leaned forward. "That can't be helped. Besides, whoever perpetrated the attacks might be keeping an eye on the sites in case of investigation; it might actually be to our benefit if you don't visit each one immediately after the other." 

Sakura leaned back in her chair with a mumbled cursed. "At that rate at least half of any remaining evidence will have been eroded by the weather, if it's not entirely deteriorated already at the sites of the earliest incursions." 

"It's better than nothing." 

"Besides," Sakura continued, "to cover that story I'll have to _do_ some of those medical missions, so there'll actually be gossip about me circulating in said villages. Figuring out the timing will be atrocious!" 

"That's really your biggest objection?" Tsunade asked drily. 

Sakura snorted. "Hardly." She was starting to wonder if she was really the only one seeing all the holes here. Was she magnifying them or were the two of them relegating them to mere divots in the road? "What happened to finding someone not on the enemy's radar and easy to disguise? My fighting style is just as distinctive as many of those with bloodline limits." 

"Yes, but not many have the extreme chakra control you have - the kind that will allow you to completely conceal your chakra signature." 

"Wait, what? But I've never done that before." 

"It's actually not that hard," Shizune claimed, if not entirely modestly. 

Continuing on in that track, Tsunade said, "Not to mention it's one of the base requirements for joining ANBU." 

"If it's not that difficult and everyone in ANBU can do it then why do you need my 'extreme chakra control'?" 

The blonde rested heavily on her elbows. "As I said, you're the best _combination_ of requirements for the task." 

"Besides," Shizune added, "not all ANBU members can master the technique. It takes a lot of skill to be able to maintain the concealment for long periods of time, or even while sleeping." 

"And you expect me to learn to do all that by the time you want this mission to start?" 

"Are you saying you're not up to the challenge?" Tsunade asked goadingly. 

Sakura folded her arms and glared, refusing to rise to the bait. 

"Oh, all right. As Shizune said, it's not that difficult a thing to do, not with the control that's been drilled into you for the last decade or so. Besides, I have a wonderful teacher lined up for you." 

Intrigued, Sakura sat forward. "Really? Who's that?" 

"Well now...does that mean you're accepting the assignment? I can't tell you until you do. Might comprise the whole thing otherwise." 

Sakura stuck her tongue out. She knew her shishou was just giving her a hard time; after all, she'd just established that she found Sakura trustworthy. "Tease," she accused. 

"Always," Tsunade agreed, grinning momentarily. 

Unfortunately, after that she chose to remain silent, which usually meant she now expected Sakura to work the rest out for herself. Slave driver. 

"Okay, okay," she began, mumbling to herself. "Since you went out of your way to mention that ANBU has basically cornered the market on chakra shielding, I'm assuming that the teacher you picked is ANBU as well." She didn't even bother to look up for confirmation. "It would make the most sense if the operative assigned this mission went undercover under the guise of ANBU, since it's the easiest way to actually disguise most people." At this she tugged gently on her hair. 

"And if the shinobi goes undercover as ANBU, they'll have to know the inner workings of ANBU, at least enough to get by. Not only have we established that ANBU is likely under surveillance, but it's entirely likely the operative could run into other ANBU out in the field. Here the undercover agent would need to know how ANBU operatives interact, any potential internal codes or whatnot, to avoid raising suspicion among our own people and blowing his or her cover." 

Tsunade smirked, knowing Sakura was only throwing around words like 'operative' and 'agent' because she was irked and showing her irritation by throwing a small tantrum. The young woman could grouse and grumble with the best of them, but when it came down to it she always did what was needed. Hell, she volunteered herself most of the time. Tsunade knew the girl thought herself a curmudgeon, but she was more generous than she believed. 

That was why she'd needed to make sure she wasn't grasping at straws with this idea. If she brought it up she knew Sakura would eventually accede to the idea, regardless of how well-thought out it was, so she needed to make sure that at least one of the others reached the same conclusion about just how well she fit the plan. 

“Tell me again why it can’t be Kakashi-sensei?” she griped and Tsunade chuckled. She had her. 

“Precisely because he’s one of the ones we go to for these types of missions. Not to mention he can’t completely hide his chakra.” 

“What? He can’t?!” Sakura exclaimed, surprise writ across her features. “What do you mean?” 

“The Sharingan. While he can hide _his_ chakra, since he can’t turn the Sharingan off he can’t completely hide _it_. It’s not his native chakra so any shield he makes has holes in it.” 

“But…but ANBU…” 

Tsunade shook her head, knowing where she was going with this. “He had both his original eyes when he joined ANBU. The Sharingan was gifted to him after that. Even then, it wasn’t necessarily a hindrance, since it confused his identity among enemies. When he was shielded the only chakra that leaked was Uchiha.” 

Sakura’s eyes widened in understanding. He could confuse the enemy into thinking he was two people instead of one, or just only allow the Uchiha chakra through and let the enemy think he was someone else altogether. 

“That changed with the Uchiha massacre though. After that there were only three Sharingan users left, and one was a missing-nin while another was a mere child. It took a while but eventually he had to give up the ghost; he was too easy to finger, even in disguise. It’s the main reason he retired from ANBU.” 

Sitting there in shock, Sakura had to wonder what else she didn’t know about her former teacher. 

"If you're that worried about it though, Sakura," Shizune added, "we can always have him escort you once or twice while you're out." 

She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not the point." Then, pausing, she added, "What do you mean? Are you planning to have escorts on the mission? Won't that make secrecy all the more difficult?" 

Tsunade held up her hand. "We can't know how matters will proceed from here - whether the attacks will come more frequently or not. It's possible that we might need to send an escort to watch the perimeter while you are doing your scouting, but for now at least we envision that to be a rare thing, if needed at all. Still, it's good to have options. 

"Regardless, we're digressing. You asked why you, so let's have at it. You haven’t had a combat assignment since, what, the war? While yes, you are certainly in the public eye and considered a top shinobi” – Sakura grimaced, certain she was being pandered to – “you mostly stay in Konoha. When you are out its typically medical or intel missions, with a few exceptions here or there. And while this assignment certainly has an intel gathering aspect, it’s too dangerous to be considered strictly that. 

“Besides, you’re smart – which is good for more than just picking up clues. You can think or even talk yourself out of many situations without having to resort to violence. And if you are in some sort of confrontation you have enough moves and tricks up your sleeve to defend yourself without having to resort to your chakra-enhanced strength; you’re able to keep that as a last resort.” 

Sakura slouched in her chair and roughly combed her fingers through her hair. “I don’t suppose you’d just let me throw a hood on and be done with it?” 

Both Shizune and Tsunade laughed. “I think you already know the answer to that,” the brunette declared. 

That she did. Sakura sighed irritably. Very few, if any, ANBU wore hoods. In fact, not a single shinobi came to mind that wore one regularly. So for her to wear one while striving for secrecy would be like all but blaring out that she was trying to hide her hair for some reason. Then, if she was being watched out in the field, all the enemy would have to do would be to look for people with easily identifiable hair or head tattoos. 

Not long after that, she’d be looking at getting herself ambushed. 

Damn them and their logic. 

“Fine,” she grumbled. “How long do I have to prepare?” 

“Two weeks,” Tsunade declared with a smug smile. She hadn’t thought it’d take this much for Sakura to come around, but she’d known she would. And know the girl would give her utmost. 

“Two weeks?! Are you kidding me? You expect me to come up with a foolproof disguise, master chakra-shielding, and learn the ins-and-outs of ANBU all in a measly fourteen days?” 

“You don’t think you can?” 

Sakura glared flatly. 

Tsunade sighed. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and it’ll be difficult, but every day we wait is one when another of our shinobi could be attacked and killed, another where weather further destroys any evidence at the sites of the previous killings. 

I have faith that you can do this.” 

Sakura met her shishou’s eyes somberly, and was both relieved and humbled by the belief she saw in them. 

“How will you judge whether or not I’ve succeeded? Whether I measure up to the standard you need?” 

“In two weeks I’ll have twenty relatively new ANBU members come here, of which you’ll be one. If Shizune and I can’t pick you out with any certainty, you pass.” 

“And if I fail?” 

Tsunade and Shizune shared a look. “It _won’t_ come to that.” She took a deep breath. “But if it does then we’ll send someone else; we won’t have time to wait for you to perfect your disguise or skills any further. Maybe we’ll even have to accept the risk and send someone like Kakashi, I don’t know. Shizune and I will puzzle over a Plan B in the meantime, but your task is to focus on your transformation.” 

“Yes, Tsunade-sama.” 

“All right. As of right now you’re on a two week leave from all of your duties. You’ve clearly been overworking yourself, Sakura,” she added in an overly-concerned tone, “and are in need of a good break. After all, I can’t have people on my roster who aren’t at a hundred-percent.” 

“Of course, shishou,” she agreed, rolling her eyes at Tsunade’s bad acting. And while it was a good cover story it would make it harder to sneak off to train with her ANBU instructor. Ah well. She supposed it’d be good practice for when she had to sneak around between her two future personalities. 

"Okay, okay, I got it. I guess I should get to it then. Is there anything else I need to know now?" 

Tsunade shook her head. "That's all of the basics." 

"And if I need to ask you something without alerting any possible eavesdroppers?" 

Taking a moment to think, Tsunade snapped her fingers. "Rub your thumb and forefinger across your chin as if thinking about something. Then if you think you can get the point across in some code or something, I'll know what you're referring to. Otherwise you an ask for Shizune and when I make the same motion to her, she'll know to put up the wards." 

"But that's such a common gesture!" Sakura protested. "How do you know I won't do it unconsciously, start talking about something completely unrelated, and confuse the heck out of us both?" 

"I have never once seen you do that. And after all our years of working together, I know your mannerisms - both conscious and unconscious - rather well." 

Sakura looked to Shizune for confirmation. The brunette shrugged. "She's right. I've never seen you do that either." 

"Huh." That made her realize she had yet another thing to work on. Her unconscious habits - even something so innocuous as how she held a kunai or how she walked - could give her away. This was going to be even more work than she'd initially thought. She'd have to develop an entirely new persona.  

Well, at least it wouldn't be boring. Besides, it'd give her a chance to brush up on her acting skills. 

Standing, she brushed her skirt flat. "All right then. When's my first lesson?" 

"You meet with Tenzou at six tomorrow morning." 

"Yamato-senpai?" she asked excitedly. It was always nice to work with someone she already knew and had a good dynamic with. Plus it had been so long since she'd seen him that it would be great to catch up. The fact that she'd learned he was a good - and patient - teacher certainly didn't hurt. 

"No, _Tenzou-_ senpai," Tsunade emphasized. "That's one of the reasons I'm pairing you up with him; you need to learn to address him correctly in each guise or you risk giving yourself away. I'm sure he'll be able to drill the distinction into you by the time the two weeks are up." She smiled in a way that Sakura was vaguely sure was sadistic, and suddenly she wasn't so excited about working with her sometimes teammate. 

When Sakura just continued to stare warily at her, Tsunade made a shooing motion. "Go on now, you have plenty of other things you could be doing than gawking at my beauty." 

Sakura smothered a chuckle but then stretched her arms over-head, exaggerating a yawn. "Ya know, shishou, I'm rather tuckered from all that overworking myself. I guess now might be a good time to drag myself home. It's time to catch up on my sleep and all." 

Shizune smiled and shook her head but went to start removing the wards. 

"And don't worry," Sakura added, "I'll be doing plenty of complaining about my horrible, naggy boss and my forced leave of absence as I trudge on home." 

Holding up a finger, Shizune made a motion to indicate she'd just removed the protection from the room and they could now be heard. She hurriedly gathered up the remaining pieces of paper stuck to the various parts of the room, tore them into tiny little pieces, then stuffed them into her pocket for proper disposal later. 

Sakura stuffed her hands in her pockets before winking at the pair of them. "Fine then," she grumbled unhappily before stomping out of the room. 

When she came across a curious Kotetsu in the hall, she glared at him until he asked if she was okay. "The hag has decreed that I'm on leave, because apparently I'm so stupid I don't know how to watch my own health. The nerve, right? I mean, what field am I in after all?  I don't work myself any harder than she does." 

The poor man chuckled nervously, much to Sakura's inner amusement. Maybe she was more like her teacher than even she realized. 

"I-I'm sorry to hear that Sakura-san. But hey, if nothing else you can take a nice vacation or spend your mornings sleeping in." 

"Do I look like I need to be catching up on sleep?" she asked, voice dangerous. 

"Not at all!" he declared, waving his hands frantically. "Just, who doesn't like sleeping in?" 

"Fine," she muttered, turning away from him. "See you in a couple weeks then. Make sure to help keep her in line when Shizune's not around." 

He groaned and Sakura allowed herself a small smile as she retreated down the hall. All along her route home she griped and complained to anyone who'd listen, willing or not, but only half-listened to their soft platitudes and careful sympathy. (After all, apprentice or not she was still bad-mouthing the Hokage, so they couldn't be too ardent in their condolences.) Her mind was on rather different matters, already making and discarding plans about how to manage her appearance. Still, there was only so much she'd be able to figure out before her meeting with Yamato - no, Tenzou, _Tenzou,_ she corrected herself - tomorrow morning.

Maybe she should go to bed early after all. Tomorrow was sure to be a busy and demanding day.

 

 


	2. Bruised

**A/N:** I realized the acronym for this story is HIPS. *easily amused*

~ ~ ~

**Bruised**

~ ~ ~

Yamato/Tenzou was, she found, a great - if sometimes merciless - teacher. There were many ins and outs of ANBU society that she'd never have even considered; the sum of it was more than she'd be able to absorb in the limited time frame they had, so they stuck to the basics. If she came across other ANBU out in the field, there were many things she could explain away as being a new recruit, but there were some things that were just understood among the ANBU, some things that would be a huge faux pas to do or not do, and she didn't want to be drawing any undue attention to herself. 

Things like how often people actually wore their masks. 

Technically, according to the letter of the law, masks were supposed to be worn at all time while on duty. In reality almost no one adhered to that, at least not on missions. In town things were a bit tighter, but then again a typical guard-type shift only lasted ten hours or so. On a mission, when someone would be out for days at a time, masks would come off to eat, occasionally to sleep, and often to socialize.

There were many regular camping grounds on the way in and out of Konoha from any direction, and when happening upon another group - which was more regularly than one might expect in the wilds of the forest - they often wouldn't bother to keep up the barrier. 

She hadn't made the connection before as Kakashi hadn't made a habit of using the common campgrounds, being as unsociable as he was. But, she reflected, the few times they _had_ come across ANBU, the operatives had generally taken their masks off if conversing for more than a few minutes. 

Of course, keeping her mask _on_ was vital for her. She couldn't change her face without using chakra, and doing so could be disastrous in its own right.

That was why Tenzou had come up with the idea that she'd have to play the brand new recruit, too scared of the rules and the higher ups to risk bending them.

Usually newbies warmed up to the 'unofficial' rules right away, but every now and then there was a stickler who was just too by-the-book and took a while to chill out. That was going to be her angle. 

Still, that had all been established within the first hour. Now they were working on chakra shielding. The particular method she was working on could more accurately be called chakra blocking, but most people were uncomfortable with that term.

"This is the most foolproof way of making your chakra undetectable," Tenzou had explained. "Building a shield around yourself requires you to not only match the frequency exactly - which given the fluid nature of chakra means leaks are likely - but it requires you to expend chakra to maintain it. Easy to drain yourself that way if you're not careful."

He would teach her shielding as well as blocking, but she was only to use it as a last resort. They could _not_ risk her being compromised. 

Chakra blocking, on the other hand, involved literally stopping the flow of chakra in the body. Thus there would be no signal for an enemy to pick up on. 

"I can only teach you this," he'd commented, "because of the level of chakra control you exhibit. It takes understanding and skill to focus in and isolate each chakra point in your body and put it into stasis."

He'd explained the basics to her, which were simple enough, but infuriatingly told her there was nothing else he'd be able to do to help her with this method. It was all internalized, something she'd have to figure out the feel of for herself. The only thing he could do was tell her when he felt her chakra signal fade at all. 

It had been half a day and she hadn't even made the remotest headway. It was so frustrating; she could see the chakra port in her mind. She'd focused on the one in her left shoulder, reasoning that when that one was out of commission those further down her arm would be easier to block. Using that reasoning she'd almost started in her core, but figured those were too strong for a first attempt. 

She exhaled slowly, allowing herself a short break. She didn't open her eyes though; she didn't want to lose the chakra point in her mind's eye and felt that keeping its location fixed would prevent her from losing her progress...if she'd made any. 

"You know," she said absently, "I bet those damn Hyuugas are just fantastic at this. Naturals, even. Not only can they actually _see_ chakra points, but some of their specialized attacks are based on isolating and blocking them. It's not quite fair to us normal shinobi. Don't you think so, Yamato-senpai?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a branch struck her in the back, knocking her from where she'd been sitting on her knees so that she almost caught a face full of dirt. Coming up gasping from the impact, Sakura scowled in Yamato's direction. 

Automatically she reached back a hand to heal the massive bruise that was already forming on top of all the other half-healed bruises. At first she'd hesitated about healing herself, wasting her chakra when focusing so much on training. However she'd finally decided that maybe lowering her chakra would actually help - so she'd be trying to dam a stream instead of a river.

Besides, she was getting hit so much the growing discomfort kept breaking her concentration.

And Yamato - _Tenzou, TENZOU!_ her mind screamed - held that his beatings were supposed to help.

"You're a sadist, you know that?" she grumbled.

Tenzou just smiled serenely, not that Sakura could see it. "It's the quickest way to learn."

She snorted, then opened her eyes just so she could glare at him. She figured she deserved a break anyhow.

"Scoff if you want, but it's true," he continued. "Even if you don't remember to use the correct address for me, your body will. You'll wince or tense up before you can even get the first syllable of 'Yamato' to leave your mouth."

"Isn't that how they train dogs? Punishment for good behavior and rewards for good?"

Tenzou's smile turned slightly smug. "Hey, if it works..."

Sakura threw a handful of grass at him and he shielded his face, laughing. "No, really, it's because it works. And it does so well because it's not a mental or even conscious stimuli. Your body trains itself and the mind follows. It's crude but efficient, and the best option when time is limited." 

Sakura muttered something unkind under her breath. "Well, then what happens if it works too well? What if I call you Tenzou when I'm me instead of whatever alternate ANBU persona you cook up for me?"

They'd decided that Tenzou would pick everything for Sakura's cover identity- from her ANBU mask to her code name - to prevent any bit of her preferences or personality from leaking through.

"That is much better than the alternative," he said seriously.

They were both well aware of what the consequences could be if she misspoke his name while undercover. Her identity would likely be compromised - after all, how many people called him Yamato on a regular basis? In turn she'd put both herself and the mission in jeopardy. But she already knew that, and Tenzou knew how hard she was working specifically because of that. There was no reason to reiterate the point.

"If you call me Tenzou as yourself, however," he continued, "you can use all kinds of stories to cover for it. You could say you're around Kakashi too much, and hearing him repeatedly calling me by my other codename just got it stuck in your head. Or you could say you've started calling me that on occasion just to harass me. There are plenty of scenarios that could lead to you calling me Tenzou, and you think well enough on your feet so I don't think it'd be any problem for you if you do slip up."

Shrugging in attempted nonchalance, she couldn't quite hide the way her face flushed in pride at his belief in her ability. Then again, if she didn't have so many people who believed in her she wouldn't be able to be in this situation to begin with. Sometimes she wondered how easy it would be to let them all down.

She flopped onto her back and stared at the shifting blue of the sky. It was in moments like these that she could understand Shikamaru just a little bit better. Watching the scuttling clouds made her - made everything here on the ground - feel small and insignificant. Even her worries and frustrations.

"Let's spar," she announced suddenly.

Tenzou sent her a curious glance. "While I'm never one to turn down a spar, you're supposed to be concentrating on your training."

"I know," she said, sitting up. "But I keep thinking that if my chakra reserves were lower then it'd be easier to figure out how to shut down one of the points. It would at least give me the feel for it so I'd know how to do it from then on."

Tenzou nodded, even though he said, "Actually that depends on the person. Having lower chakra helps some, like you said, but for others its a detriment - they need to be at full power to focus and channel properly. When we're training ANBU in this we normally don't mention it for exactly that reason. You're the ones who know your bodies and systems the best, so if you thought of it then that's a good sign it actually will help."

"Great!" Sakura enthused, jumping to her feet. "I was tired of getting nowhere."

Shaking his head, Tenzou rose to his feet more slowly. "Don't be so hard on yourself," he chided. "This is only your first day of training."

"Yeah," she said absently flexing her fingers and cracking her knuckles. "But I only have two weeks to master this, not to mention perfect my disguise, relearn my habits, and hopefully have time to start learning that second method of chakra shielding you told me about. That doesn't give me much time to be lenient with myself."

He hummed. "Is that so? In that case maybe I'll go easy on you and let you get a few punches in. Then you can heal me and we'll make sure you're good and depleted before continuing your training."

She laughed at him. "You wish, old man."

"Old...man?" he gasped in mock affront. "That does it, no more Mr. Nice Guy. Apparently this not-so-old-man needs to teach you some manners and show you what kind of difference experience makes."

Grinning, she goaded, "Bring it on."

Face turning serious, Tenzou abruptly crouched low and made a series of handsigns in a blur of motion too fast for Sakura to catch, but she already knew what was coming.

Trees sprouted from the ground all around, unnaturally long limbs racing toward her, but Sakura'd had quite enough of being pummeled by branches today. Still smiling, she wove and danced her way through the advancing line and headed out of the clearing toward the tree line, where there would be more obstacles for him to deal with.

It had been a long time since she and Tenzou had squared off against each other. She had some new tricks up her sleeve that she was just dying to try out on him.

This was going to be fun.

~ ~ ~


	3. Camouflage

**Camouflage**

~ ~ ~

Sakura collapsed onto her back, relishing the coolness of the tile on her bathroom floor. Exhausted, body still trembling in pain, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to clean away any vestiges of her being sick. Again. She stared longingly at the bottle of water sitting on the edge of the sink, wishing her arms were just a little bit longer. Finally she dragged herself upright, guzzling down the entire bottle in one motion and throwing it into the growing pile of plastic on her floor. At least she'd have plenty to refill later.

Steeling herself she looked in the mirror, grimacing at the image she made. All this and she was still only half done. She resisted the urge to punch something. She glared at her reflection, as if she could blame it for her slow progress.

Tentatively she reached up to touch the edges of her hair; the right side was now down past her shoulder blade, though the ends weren't even at all, while the left side was still her normal length, hanging just above her shoulders. Pushing away from the countertop in disgust she went to the kitchen to make herself some tea, hoping to calm her stomach. Unfortunately, she couldn't help but catch sight of the clock, and at seeing how much time had passed since she'd started working on her hair she was attacked by worry again.

She was seven days into her preparations. Which meant she only had a week, one _measly_ week, to perfect herself. Her disguise had to be _flawless_. Nothing else would be sufficient to get past Shizune and Tsunade’s eyes. 

It was hard work, making herself look like an entirely different person without the use of genjutsu or any other type of chakra manipulation that could be detected, or disabled if she was knocked unconscious. 

She couldn't do anything about her face, or even her body type. Padding could only change so much and it was usually noticeable to those in her line of work; they were paid to be observant and padding, while used for disguises on missions, didn't move the same way as muscle and fat.

So then came the tricky parts. Even from a distance most people were recognizable by their gait or posture - Kakashi-sensei, for instance, she could pick out from a crowd without even trying because of his lackadaisical slump - so she'd worked on giving herself the slightest limp in the right leg to change her walk just a bit. It seemed to be effective enough. Then she'd asked Tenzou to tell her about any quirks she had, like whether she stood a certain way or fidgeted with her hands, anything like that that could be a giveaway. He knew her habits pretty well already, but having him stare at her so intently throughout their interactions this first week - just in case he'd missed something - had been just a bit unnerving. Still, the results had been fruitful and she now knew what to watch out for. 

But worst of all, of course, was her hair. As Tsunade had pointed out, she couldn't just wear a hood and expect that to work. It would be far too obvious, and if anyone was trying to pinpoint her identity they'd start by looking for people with easily identifiable hair. That or bald shinobi with head tattoos, though there were few enough of them too. She'd have to dye it, and she'd created her own by mixing powdered medicines and herbal remedies with common plants. That way she'd never run out, if she was caught too long away from Konoha. Couldn't exactly have pink roots showing. Plus, chemical dye was so harsh it'd be a bit more obvious. Not that she was too worried about that part - plenty of kunoichi dyed their hair - but she'd prefer not to bring too much attention to that particular attribute if she didn't need to. 

Still, it wasn't enough. 

Dye was such an obvious disguise tactic, and so commonly used, that it wouldn't be too hard to figure out. Anyone trying to find her would just have to look at everyone with shoulder-length hair and that cut down on the possible kunoichi by much more than half. This disguise had to be foolproof; Tsunade wouldn't accept anything less, and she was _trying_ to figure out who she was. They couldn't risk anyone figuring out it was her under the mask, so she needed something more extreme. Therefore she decided she had to make her hair longer. 

She'd gone through multiple possibilities and scenarios in her mind, discounting each one. If she cut her hair even shorter it would only draw more attention, as everyone in her day-to-day life would be sure to comment on it. 

That meant she'd have to lengthen it. She'd tried extensions but they came out during only her third fight with Tenzou. Besides, no one normally wore them on missions - notably because of that particular reason, but also because the things were damn expensive to be risking in the first place - so if hers came out while she was in the field it would be a huge red flag. 

Thus she decided she'd have to fall back on her medical skill and abilities with chakra manipulation and create her own solution. The result was one of the most painful things she'd ever experienced, but it worked. 

She literally pulled her hair longer. While tugging on a small section, to the point her scalp was burning and she was traumatizing the hair follicles, she flooded the area with healing chakra, which prompted her scalp to force out healthy strands to compensate. 

Rinse, lather, repeat, and a couple hours later her hair was a few inches longer.

...Or so she hoped. Today it had taken her two and a half hours just to get through this half of her head. Granted, it was progress; just a three days ago she'd only gotten through a quarter of her head in the same amount of time. Still, it wasn't enough. She wasn't progressing quickly enough for what she needed. 

She'd hoped to have a couple days of breathing room, time to get used to running and fighting with long hair again, as she'd forgotten what an absolute pain it could be. She couldn't even put it up in a bun or anything so out of the way because that would negate the whole point - it needed to be _obvious_ her hair was long. Leaving it down was just too much of a hindrance though so she'd settled on a high ponytail, but man could that thing whip her in the face. 

She'd only been able to practice with the extra length at home so far, as every night when she was done with making her hair longer she carefully cut it back to its original length, lest someone come visit her in the middle of the night and catch her looking like that. Granted, Tsunade had declared her on 'vacation' for two weeks, but she'd had enough late night patients that she knew that was no guarantee of privacy.

Still, she thought that maybe tonight she'd pin her hair up to disguise it as best she could before going to bed. She might look crazy during training with Tenzou tomorrow, but it'd be partial practice. Besides, then tomorrow night she could finish her head off and maybe even get to start over, or just work on her blocking exercises more. 

All she knew was it was past midnight, she was tired and shaky, and she had to be up before dawn tomorrow for her training. She collapsed onto her bed, not even bothering to change her clothes, and fell asleep as soon as her aching head hit the pillow.

~ ~ ~


	4. Dry-run

**Dry-run**

~ ~ ~

Today was the fourteenth day. This was it; she had to pass Tsunade's inspection with not a hint of who she really was, otherwise not only would she get caught out and ruin her mission, but she'd have to live under the humiliation of not being able to fool her own teacher when that was the whole point.

She took a nervous breath as she made her way to the hokage tower. She was prepared for this - she _would_ excel. Her disguise was impeccable, so long as she kept her chakra hidden. The only thing she had to be mindful of were her habits and how she spoke. Luckily Tenzou had also trained her - with his ever favorite painful reminders - to speak in a high, wispy falsetto that barely engaged her vocal chords. 

Tenzou was already waiting in the hall outside Tsunade's office. He'd wait with her, just as he had with the sixteen previous candidates, and would with the next three as well. The others had no idea why they'd been summoned or been given such odd orders by Tenzou, but ANBU were trained not to ask too many questions. Not to mention they'd surely had odder assignments, even if on this one they were all advised not to speak in anything above a whisper while in the tower.

Sakura stood up straighter when she saw an ANBU operative leaving the hokage's office. (She did her best to try not to _think_ like Sakura either; this wasn't Tsunade's office, or her shishou's, but that of Hokage-sama.) They'd all been given specific appointment times so they wouldn't all be congregating together, and the exiting operative nodded her head in greeting before continuing down the hall. Tenzou squeezed her shoulder before giving her a little push forward. She rolled her eyes but mentally thanked him for the gesture, helping to break her furiously worrying train of thought for a moment, before she entered Tsunade's office and closed the door behind her.

She made sure to keep her distance from Tsunade's desk, standing at attention just a couple of feet from the door. She studied her shishou as the woman scribbled across an expansive piece of paper; she hadn't even acknowledged Sakura's presence yet.

Sakura, however, refused to rise to the bait of letting her impatience bleed through in the form of clearing her throat or making some other noise to draw Tsunade's attention. She'd expected Tsunade would lay out some trap for her right from the get go. Sakura wasn't exactly known for her soothing demeanor and abundance of patience. After a while, though, she came to the conclusion this was starting to get just a bit excessive. The clock ticked by at a crawl and she had to suppress a natural groan when she saw she'd been standing there thirty minutes already.

Besides, ANBU were supposed to go silent and unnoticed. What kind of cover could she maintain if she couldn't even handle this?

Shizune had come and gone twice already, and when she came in a third time - and stayed for more than two minutes - Sakura got her hopes up. It was all for naught though; she went into a corner where Sakura couldn't see her, since she had to remain at attention until acknowledged by the hokage. Being that Sakura couldn't turn to look at her she had no idea what the brunette was up to. For all she knew Shizune was ignoring her altogether and doing her day-to-day job, just biding her time until the interview actually started. More likely though she'd intentionally gone into her blind spot to study her, which of course put Sakura all the more on edge.

Finally, after _forty-seven_ minutes of waiting, she'd had enough. No one could endure being ignored _that_ long. "You called for me, Hokage-sama?" she asked in the high falsetto meant to disguise her voice. 

Tsunade snorted. "You made it longer than I thought you would, given how rigidly you were standing. In fact, it was getting so tedious doing all this paperwork that I almost ended it first."

She had to cut back the retort that immediately sprang to her lips. Regular nin weren't much given to sassing the leader of the village to her face. "So this was an exercise in patience?" she asked, hoping that her supposed confusion leaked into her voice. Since the other ANBU hadn't been given a reason for their summons, they'd have no idea what to make of the hokage's strange behavior.

"Hardly, but it's a start. Now," she continued, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands together, "let's begin."

What followed was a series of questions with no discernable connection, which made it difficult for her to follow the thread of the conversation. She hadn't realized Tsunade was so proficient at interrogation techniques, but then again she'd never been on the receiving end before - at least not while in work mode. Tsunade pried into her personal life all the time but that was different. 

"What's your name?" From the glint in Tsunade's eye she knew that at least one person had given her true name, either too intimidated by the hokage to refuse or thinking that she was just supposed to, given that it was the head honcho doing the asking. 

In that moment she was also extremely thankful that Tenzou had chosen her op name for her, so that there was nothing in it to give her away to Tsunade's discerning gaze. 

"Moriko," she replied simply, wondering what Tsunade's reaction would be to the codename. Honestly she hadn't been sure if she, as the hokage, _would_ ask for their names, considering she had to be pretty knowledgeable about what code names were being used. It was in her favor that most of the ANBU names - including the one she'd been assigned - got recycled.

The blonde tapped her nails on her desk and hummed. "Moriko." She mulled over the name then nodded. "Child of the forest. On point yet generic; it's a good name. I'll have to pass my regards along to Tenzou." All names, whether or not they were picked by the ANBU themselves - and many did the same as Sakura and chose to have one assigned - had to be approved. Tenzou had been working his way methodically up the hierarchy and, from what Sakura could tell, was doing quite well for himself and being depended on quite a bit. She felt oddly proud of him. 

However, this was followed up by a series of questions that covered everything from math - 'What's two plus two?' - to cooking - 'How often do you bake?' - to basic survival skills - 'How can you get drinkable/potable water from the ponds and muddy streams out in the forest?' Her favorite color, weapon preferences, and even recent town gossip were all covered in the Hokage's bizarre line of questioning. 

She wasn't sure if Tsunade was trying to ferret out any hidden mannerisms that she might let slip due to the supposed casualness of the situation, or whether these seemingly frivolous questions were actually giving her useful information. 

She did know, however, that she was most definitely overthinking all of this, and even if it wouldn't show to her audience on her face, all shinobi were adept at picking up clues from body language. Well, maybe every shinobi but Naruto. 

And then just like that it was over. "All right," Tsunade said, waving her away, "you may go."

Sakura was surprised; the interview itself hadn't even lasted fifteen minutes. And Shizune hadn't hopped in on the questioning at all, as she'd been so sure she would. Then again, she supposed that if either of them was able to identify her because of her disguise not being thorough enough, they'd be able to do so relatively quickly. 

That Tsunade had been so dismissive in the end gave Sakura hope. In fact, the hokage had already returned to her paperwork - or perhaps notes on the candidates - and Sakura hadn't even left the room yet. Her heart leaped in a giddy little dance of jubilation. Maybe she'd done it. It would be a huge blow to her pride if she didn't succeed. She'd be letting everyone down - Tsunade, Shizune, Tenzou, and ultimately the whole of Konoha, not to mention herself - if she didn't pull this off. 

What would come of Tsunade's faith in her if she failed? Sure, she'd demanded a lot - but that also meant she thought Sakura capable of handling the situation, and she would, _couldn't,_ let her down.

When she left the hokage's office, shutting the door quietly behind her, she couldn't help but beam at Tenzou where he waited in the hall with the next applicant. Of course he couldn't see her smile, but he was adept enough to read her body language, and acknowledged her with a nod and a small - and dare she think it, satisfied? - smile. 

Nodding in return to both him and the other operative, she raced from the tower, eager to get out of that stifling mask and back to herself. 

~ ~ ~


	5. Expectation

**Expectation**

~ ~ ~

The next morning Sakura strolled into the hokage's office, the latest gossip spilling from her lips. "Oh Tsunade-shishou, you are _never_ going to guess what I just heard in the cafeteria," she spouted, laughter apparent in her voice before it cut off. 

She'd motioned to Shizune the second she'd walked through the door that she could start the wards, though the brunette had already been in motion. Hopefully this way if there were any eavesdroppers they'd only think the three of them wanted to talk juicy details without being overheard.

Sakura paced back in forth in front of Tsunade's desk, fidgeting as she waited with poorly concealed impatience for Shizune to finish. She hadn't slept at all, too anxious to find out if she'd been discovered, whether she'd failed or succeeded in this all important first step of her assignment.

The moment Shizune finished placing the last ward - turning and nodding to confirm their security - Sakura spun, trying to eye them both despite their being on different sides of the room. "So?" she blurted impatiently.

Shizune plopped down into a neighboring chair and declared, "We're not sure."

"Not sure if I pass?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

Tsunade shook her head. She'd have berated Sakura for her obtuseness but she supposed nerves entitled someone to be oblivious from time to time. "No, we're not sure which candidate was you." She chuckled as the girl obviously brightened. "I had my money on two, four, or sixteen."

Sixteen? The girl right before her? Sakura couldn't say she'd noticed any resemblance - other than maybe height - but then again, she hopefully hadn't resembled herself much either. That was the only other candidate she'd really gotten a look at though; she'd been so nervous upon exiting her interview that she hadn't taken notice of the next woman waiting in the hall with Tenzou.

"Yes, and we all know how well Tsunade's bets usually go," Shizune commented dryly. "So I'm sure you weren't any of those three."

"Well, you never know. I mean if Tsunade was _always_ wrong then we might be able to actually get her to quit gambling." That was one of the few sources of tension between Tsunade and Shizune, and Sakura needled at them about it all the time. It was only fair, what with the way they constantly harassed her about things....like being younger, more inexperienced, the cheery color of her hair, or the way that constantly dealing with being hit on by Naruto and Lee had made her incapable of handling the attentions of the occasional hospital patient with anything other than brute force.

The occasional payback could be fun. "Besides, if Tsunade-shishou was always wrong then she'd be a sure bet. We could just wait for her to place first and then put our money on whatever she hadn't chosen."

Tsunade glared and Sakura smiled unrepentantly. 

"What are your guesses, then?" she asked Shizune.

"One, seventeen, or... Ha! Seventeen it is then. It's a good thing you'll be wearing a mask out there - your poker face is even worse than Tsunade's."

The blonde sniffed and refused to dignify that with a comment. "So you were seventeen, huh?" She ran her eyes up and down Sakura's body, as if comparing her to the memory of her ANBU persona. "Yes, I suppose I can see that. How did you do the hair? You didn't use extensions, did you?"

The edge of suspicion in her voice made Sakura all the more proud to be able to reveal her technique. When she finished explaining Tsunade looked at her in something akin to awe while Shizune had turned an unflattering shade of green.

"That sounds absolutely horrible," Shizune choked out, patting her own scalp in sympathy pains.

"Doesn't it though?" Tsunade added, fascinated. 

"Yeah, I'd forgotten what a pain it is to have long hair though. I don't know how you fight with it in the way all the time, Tsunade-shishou. I don't know how _I_ fought with it back then. I'm pretty sure once this is all over I'm going to chop it off entirely and be done with it."

"How long does it take you to get your hair to the length we saw it at?" Now back to her normal color, Shizune's intrigue was apparent. She always had been the most scientifically and technically oriented of them.

"That took me about five hours, though I do get a little faster at it each time I do it." 

She shot a look at Tsunade. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The Hokage nodded. "Once Sakura's assignment is done should we make this technique known to others?"

Shizune nodded. "And if so, who? The entirety of Konoha shinobi, to use as needed on assignments? Just ANBU, or those who have to otherwise do undercover missions? Or strictly those like Sakura, who have to spy on or hide from their own brethren?"

Tsunade ruminated a moment, rubbing at her chin. Sakura mimed the motion, realizing how awkward the movement felt. Apparently she really _didn't_ do that on her own. "We'll have to think about the further implications of this and leave it for a later date. It's not like we don't have the time; Sakura's not going to finish her mission anytime soon."

"So I _have_ passed? I really am going?"

Tsunade scowled at her. "Haven't you been paying attention?" She waved away the retort she knew was coming, catching Sakura with her mouth half-open. Grabbing a packet of papers off her desk, she handed them to her apprentice. "These are the details on the first site you'll visit. You leave tomorrow at dawn, so I suggest you start studying now if you want to have time to both get your hair done and get any sleep."

Sakura knew they were pressed for time but she hadn't known she'd be thrown into the mission this quickly with so little time to prep the information. Still, she'd been in less favorable situations before. "Is anyone accompanying me?" They'd been tossing around the idea of sending her with partners who could keep guard while she poked around. While she'd been doing all her preparations she wasn't sure what the two of them had decided on that.

Shaking her head, Tsunade said, "No, not this time at least. Tenzou will likely accompany you on your second trek out, depending on timing, but it was actually his idea that this first mission be solo. Part of your objective is just to let your cover persona be identified; go to the communal campgrounds and be seen. Let yourself be known as a newbie, as someone who won't take off her mask no matter what. People have to know and recognize you to be able to dismiss you."

Sakura hummed. "I assume you allotted me extra time for all this loitering then?"

"Of course, though this first mission will take you to the oldest battle site. It's unlikely anything useful will be yielded there so you probably won't need as much time at the location itself." 

At Sakura's curious look Shizune added, "There's always a learning curve to these types of missions - well to any type of mission if we're honest. Since this is your first time on a solo-undercover we figured it would make sense to send you to the easiest location first, so that then you'd have a feel at what you're looking at, what you're looking for, and how to go about it, all while maintaining your guise and suppressing your chakra. We know what we're asking for is no simple task."

A sharp nod. Sakura was practical enough to see the sense in it and not be insulted. The fact that they were sending her in the first place was compliment enough.

"If my first trip is to the oldest are we going to follow that pattern? Keep sending me to the next oldest in case the sites might be watched?" The tone of her voice it obvious she wasn't a fan of that plan, for all she knew it did make sense. With the sites not being fresh she wouldn't be able to gather as much data - weathering and passing animals, among other things, would have obliterated much of any remaining signs of the perpetrators. However, if the sites were under observation, their enemies would logically watch the newer ambush sites more carefully - thus they'd be more dangerous, especially for a lone shinobi. Getting old, limited information was better than no evidence at all due to her winding up dead. 

Still, it would grate on her to know there was better evidence out there, at fresher locations, but she couldn't get to it. Especially because she was the only one out there looking. 

"We'll take it on a case by case basis and see how it goes." Tsunade studied her over steepled fingers. "We will need to factor in how your first retrieval goes. Whether or not you get attacked and what kind of information you discover - if any - will determine much about where we go from here." 

Sakura nodded. That certainly made sense, as opposed to having a set plan from the beginning that might not suit particular circumstances that could pop up. Tsunade tended to go with those open types of agendas, despite the Elders constantly pushing for more concrete, step-by-step approaches. She was relieved, because while that was what Tsunade leaned toward - and was how she'd taught Sakura to approach tasks as well - an undercover mission of this variety could be an entirely different animal.

She stood there, waiting for any further instructions the two might have for her, the room delving into awkward silence. Finally Tsunade look up from her desk where she'd been scribbling something. "Well?" she snapped. "What are you still doing here? Unless I'm mistaken, you have other things to be doing; you have a full night ahead of you if you want to be ready for tomorrow."

"Ah, yes Tsunade-shishou." She swallowed, because she knew Tsunade had snapped at her our of worry. There was always a risk involved in any mission, even those thought safe - as evidenced by her first mission with Team 7. The fact that she was dealing with a situation with a possible spy or traitor made it even more dangerous. It didn't matter that she, along with most of her friends, faced these challenges on a regular basis. She wouldn't stop worrying about them anymore than Tsunade could stop worrying about her. After all, skill was only so much of a match for luck and unforeseen circumstances. 

Tsunade made a shooing motion with her hands. "As I said, get going then!"

Sakura smiled, bowed, and headed for the door, a nod from Shizune confirming that it was okay to go ahead and break the seal on the room. Putting on her best acting voice, Sakura started laughing a bit, even if she did feel a fool. Opening the door, she yelled back into the room, "Just remember, you didn't hear any of that from me, all right?" She closed the door tightly behind her without waiting for a reply.

She really, _really_ hoped they were all just being overly paranoid about the whole thing. To that extent, she hoped she really didn't find anything on her excursions, and that all the deaths were just an unfortunate coincidence. The idea of spies or traitors in their midst gave her the chills, and she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder while hustling down the corridor. 

Still, she really did have a lot to do, and ruminating on the state of - or need for - her mission in the scheme of things could wait until another time. For now she needed to focus on more concrete things - like stocking up on water and soup. She had a lot of hair-growing to do.


	6. Foray

Foray

~ ~ ~

Sakura left for the village gate well before dawn the next day. She wanted to make sure she had enough time to make it there cautiously - without letting anyone realize this new ANBU recruit was leaving from Sakura's apartment complex and putting two and two together.

Getting ready for her departure, she checked her reflection constantly, making sure she hadn't missed dyeing even the minutest bit of her hair. After she'd colored it the night before, she'd trimmed it so it was all the same length; it wasn't the easiest thing to make consistent while pulling her hair longer. Hopefully she'd get better at that with practice. 

In the meantime, she'd gathered the discarded hair into a tiny bag that she tucked in one of the pockets on her ANBU vest. She'd take the clippings and dump them in a fire once she was far enough from town, thus leaving no traces of her disguise to be found in her home.

Posting a clone outside, she made sure the coast was absolutely clear before leaving through her window. Making her way through the sleepy streets of Konoha, her clone kept a close watch, looking for anyone who was up and about and paid her close attention. There weren't many people around, just the occasional baker or other merchant who had to get up early to prepare their wares. These were usually half asleep and not up to noticing someone gliding around the rooftops; even if they did they lived in a city where such a thing was considered normal behavior. 

As it was, she made it to the gate smoothly.

Sakura didn't dismiss her clone once she was through, though, instead sending it back home. It could maintain the illusion of her presence in Konoha for the day, puttering around in her apartment in a way her neighbors could hear and maybe even going out to the market. Since this was immediately after her 'leave' they didn't bother with the fake and/or medical mission as cover. It was easy enough to use the excuse that she'd been given a couple extra days since, in Tsunade's opinion, she hadn't been resting well enough. After all, her neighbors would've seen her coming and going at all hours during her training with Tenzou, so that was easy enough to corroborate if anyone cared to.

She could easily dismiss her clone during the day if she needed to, and if the clone had been in a public place it'd be simple enough to make up an excuse later. (She could always just claim it had been Naruto - he'd masqueraded as her enough times before to make anyone believe it.) It was doubtful she'd need the extra chakra though, since her first day consisted of meandering around a couple of the communal campgrounds to make her presence known amongst the ANBU.

She wouldn't get to her real job until tomorrow, when she got to sift through the remnants of a months old attack site. Tsunade and Shizune didn't think she'd find anything useful, so she was even more determined to prove them wrong. She _would_ figure out something from the site, even if it only clicked into place later once she'd visited the others.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed off with all her non-enhanced strength, racing her way through the forest. It felt odd to be running on the ground instead of flitting through the trees - and she found herself occasionally glancing up to make sure no one was perched above her. Sure, she'd walked the paths often enough with her teammates, but anytime they were going for speed they took advantage of the forest. Which was yet another reason that traveling to Sand, with its wide open vistas, always felt like such drudgery. 

She could've just walked the beginning of her mission, but she was anxious to get the first part of it over. Hanging around the campground was going to be both irritatingly boring, especially when she considered that every moment spent there was one less at the attack site, and nerve-wracking, as every person she came across was someone who's scrutiny she'd have to withstand while trying to convince them of her cover.

Still, as long as she didn't run into Naruto she'd be fine. She didn't think any amount of disguising would be able to hide her identity from him - and there was no way he wouldn't call her out on it immediately. She shook her head; it was no use worrying about things she couldn't control. Besides, her teammate was bright enough and loud enough that she should be able to spot him in plenty of time if he came across her path, so she should be able to avoid him entirely.

After two and a half hours she reached the first campground and part of her laughed at its placement and its proximity to Konoha. It was so close to the city gate - probably only one and a half, maybe two hours travel when using chakra - that she could imagine only the laziest of shinobi using this place. Who, coming back from a mission, wouldn't prefer to just push on home to the comfort of their own beds and proper medical care if needed? And who could possibly need to full stop so soon on the way out? Breaks and meals could happen anywhere in the forest, but a full stop or building a fire? She scoffed. Frankly, she wasn't planning on staying long because she figured she'd only meet new genin teams here, and twelve year olds weren't likely to help in spreading her cover story.

She was surprised at how well-kept the campsite was though. The fire pit was carefully lined with stones, there was a small pile of firewood to the side of it, and there were even some felled logs and small boulders set up for seats. Maybe the relative comfort of this place would draw more teams here? She'd have to hope. In the meantime she figured she'd make herself useful and gather some more wood to add to the pile, as it was a little on the small side and seemed infinitely more amusing than simply sitting there and waiting.

Going as slowly as she could, taking her time to leisurely search out and gather dry kindling while still staying close to the campsite, she was still back in forty-five minutes, the pile she'd made so large and precariously balanced it threatened to tip and spill over any minute. 

Then she felt the niggling tickle at the back of her mind that was all the remainder she had of her chakra sensing abilities while suppressing her own so tightly. She could tell someone was approaching but she couldn't identify _who_ , which was more aggravating than she'd thought it would be out in the field. And if it was this bad when she was still well within Konoha's boundaries and sure the mystery person was an ally...

Sakura made a promise to herself that she would redouble her efforts back home when working on hiding instead of suppressing her chakra. 

She paused mid-stride as she stepped into the clearing, surprised at seeing it was someone she knew. "Genma-san?" She hurriedly tacked on the polite term of address, cursing the fact she hadn't thought to practice such a thing. Not that she'd really have had the time to do so, but that was beside the point.

He looked up at her entrance, and seeing her arms full to bursting with twigs, branches, and moss they could set to dry for kindling, he stood and immediate began taking part of the load.

"Are you planning on staying the night here?" he asked with mild incredulity.

She shook her head.

"Then why are you spending your time doing this?" Giving her a quizzical look he raised his armload of firewood.

"Maybe I'm just more conscientious than you," she quipped with both a little bite and humor. "I _like_ to help out."

He bowed his head a bit. "There is that. But it's also useful to teach genin to replace what they use, lest they have none to use later. Not to mention they don't want to make enemies out of any other shinobi that might use the camp after them. It's a good lesson for them either way."

She knew that but she couldn't very well say she'd just been killing time while she waited for someone, anyone, to come along. Instead, she shrugged and said, "I wasn't in any hurry. Besides, who knows? Maybe I'll use the camp on my way back."

As she added her wood to the pile sitting next to the fire pit, he eyed her skeptically. "Right. Very common for ANBU to stop on their way home, this close to town, and build themselves a fire." He gave her a pointed look and she laughed lightly.

After adding his own bunch to the pile, Sakura had to hold herself back from straightening it up and separating the types of wood and kindling. She couldn't act too much like herself, after all. Much less in front of Genma, who was a regular acquaintance, if not a friend.

But given what she knew of the man, she was surprised he hadn't yet found an excuse to crowd into her personal space and start flirting outrageously with her. Then he finished brushing his hands off on his vest and turned to look at her. She swore she could actually see his demeanor change. True to form he swaggered up to her and put his hand on the tree she was leaning back against.

"Now why the soft voice...?" He trailed off meaningfully but she wasn't sure if this was some new come on and she didn't want to fall into that trap, so she just stayed silent. He sighed melodramatically. "If you don't tell me your name I'm going to have to call you 'sweetheart', and I've been told on occasion that gets old."

She smiled at that - not that he could see it - because she'd been one of who knew how many who'd told him that.

"Moriko."

"Well. Isn't that...generic," he groused, then turned the charm back on. "All right then. Why the soft voice, Moriko?" He leaned in closer, speaking quietly himself.

"To hide my identity, of course," she said matter-of-factly, trying to give her falsetto a little more volume and strength.

He drew back slightly. "So no one will recognize you by your voice?"

A nod.

"You're serious?" he asked, somewhere between amused and shocked.

She nodded again, decisively.

Eyes widening at first, he then started laughing. She couldn't quite decide whether to be offended or not, but decided she didn't really care once she realized it had broken the intimate mood he'd been trying to create. She'd never been good at talking her way out of situations like that - at least not without being biting and rude, which some guys just read as a challenge and thus tried harder. She normally had to rely on her fists and she obviously couldn't do such in this situation. It almost always came to that with Genma and sometimes she could swear he was so persistent in his flirting just to get a rise out of her. 

"Sorry," he said, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. "It's just been a while since I've seen someone taking this so seriously. I take it you're still relatively new to the whole ANBU thing?"

"This is my first mission," she declared defiantly, playing her role to a tee.

He smiled. "Let me give you some free advice, Moriko. No one _cares_. Yes, keep your identity hidden from the enemy, but even if you _try_ do you think you can perpetually keep yourself hidden from your fellow shinobi? How could anyone fight freely if they had to live under the constant fear that they might give themselves away by their fighting style, signature moves, or bloodline limit? Not to mention the problems that come in when trying to disguise your appearance, or your _walk_. Do you have any idea how much it can throw off your balance or make you sore just by walking differently?" he groused.

"You speak like you know," she commented when it became obvious he was looking for some kind of a response.

"I do," he laughed self-deprecatingly. "I was in ANBU myself a few years back, and despite appearances I was actually rather fastidious about the rules until I became acclimated to ANBU culture. Of course this was helped along by the fact that the senior ANBU thought it was hilarious to see the newbies flailing about and doing more work than we needed to. I'm pretty sure they saw it as some kind of initiation or something. I've no idea if they've kept up the tradition so I figured I'd be the nice one and let you in on the open secret."

"Really? You were in ANBU?" she asked skeptically.

Of course, Sakura knew he had been. But most of what Moriko would know of him would be from casual observance and secondhand rumor, the majority of which painted him as little more than a gossip and a womanizer. It was therefore entirely reasonable for her to be a little wary of his claims. Besides, he was fun to banter with and poke fun at, and she could hardly resist the easy jab at his ego.

His hand went to his heart and he gasped in mock hurt. "You wound me, Moriko, Truly. And here I was, merely trying to be a noble helper to a lady in need."

"Mm-hmm."

He laughed low then leaned forward until she could feel his breath on her neck. "You know, I'm half-tempted to think this is all some game of yours designed just to lure me in" he said softly. "Playing the innocent new recruit, speaking in that half-whisper so I'd have the excuse to lean in close to properly hear you."

Sakura raised her hands to push him away then froze. She was so used to dealing with his friendly, if persistent, attentions with physical force. That was her go-to reaction for dealing with any kind of unruly shenanigans, a trait likely learned from dealing with her teammates. She wasn't sure she trusted herself to not fall back on habit and use her enhanced strength unconsciously. _Especially_ considering she didn't know how he'd react to her pushing him away in a normal fashion and thus couldn't predict what her instinctive reaction would be.

Then the decision was taken out of her hands when Genma was bodily pulled from her. In the blink of an eye he went from leaning over her to crouching on the other side of the clearing. He stood slowly, brushing himself off and muttering to himself.

She turned to look at the newcomer, then eyes widening she gasped, "Kakashi-sen-" She cut herself off so quickly she almost bit her tongue. _Of all the stupid..._ she berated herself. She was _not_ going to mess up and blow her own cover, especially not in the first couple hours of her mission. It wasn't that she didn't trust Kakashi-sensei. If she blundered here and addressed him as only she and a couple other _boys_ did, she'd be sure to out herself, but she knew he'd keep her secret. But, damn it, she didn't want him to have to keep her secret. She wanted to be able to prove she could do this. 

"Kakashi-senpai," she said hesitantly, the words feeling foreign on her tongue.

"Hey," Genma called, managing to look affronted even at a distance, "why is he a 'senpai' when I'm just 'san'?" He made the latter sound like it was the equivalent of chopped liver.

Sakura rolled her eyes, irked they couldn't really see it. So much of communication was expression; how did the regular ANBU stand having conversation like this? Oh, that's right, they didn't. They didn't worry about keeping their stupid masks on all the time.

"Kakashi-senpai is a _legend_ in the ANBU circuit," she explained, glad for the easy excuse. Not to mention getting to get one more dig in on Genma was not only amusing, it helped rebalance her. "Of course I'd show deference to someone so many of us look up to."

"While I on the other hand..." he hedged, fishing for what she hadn't said.

"Well, I hadn't even known you were ANBU," she reminded him with an embarrassed shrug.

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "Genma, shouldn't' you be able to tell by now when a woman is trying to politely decline your advances? Or are you so unused to being rejected that you can't tell when a lady is holding herself back from pushing you away? Or perhaps you're just too used to your rejections coming in the form of a slap on the face..." He scratched at his chin, as if considering the point.

"Yeah, yeah," Genma groused before giving Kakashi a strange look that Sakura couldn't decipher. She looked back and forth between them a few times before shaking her head. She had enough to keep straight on her own without trying to figure these two out. 

"Well, I can see where I'm not wanted," Genma continued, heaving a great put upon sigh. "I'll go ahead and head on back and treat myself to a well-deserved drink. See you back in town, Kakashi." So saying, he offered them a jaunty salute and a wink, in addition to giving her a little bow - though whether in jest, apology, respect, or continuing his flirtations she couldn't even begin to guess - before disappearing into the trees.

"That was...interesting," Sakura commented.

Kakashi huffed what she supposed was a laugh before leaning against her tree in much the same way Genma had been. But this was Kakashi, perpetually lazy and always propped against something, so she didn't think much of it.

"He's really not that bad a guy," he started conversationally.

Sakura groaned. "Please tell me you're not trying to play wingman for him."

"Hardly," Kakashi scoffed. "He doesn't need the help."

When the silence stretched and she knew he would volunteer no more, she gave in and asked, "Why then?"

Not looking at her, he moved in a minimal way in what could've been a shrug or just repositioning himself. Even after all these years she couldn't always tell with him, but particularly when he was looking away. His solitary showing eye was the easiest part of him to read, and that was saying something.

"I just don't like people having the wrong impression of a friend."

"So everything I just saw was a genjutsu?" she asked dryly. "Or I just can't be trusted to make my own judgment on events?"

He shook his head but she could tell he was smiling. She swore, without the team she'd been dealt she'd only be half so sarcastic. Naruto...well it was one of the only ways to deal with him and his shenanigans on a daily basis and keep her sanity. Sai was pretty much just begging for it, what with his lack of expression. She was pretty sure he had at least some humor ingrained from the very beginning though, to call her 'hag' from day one. So in part she just loved messing with him, but part of her was also convinced he understood sarcasm and just played dumb. Not to mention it was one of the only ways to get a reaction out of their team leader - which thankfully mostly consisted of amusement, though she did get her share of eye-rolling and the occasional rebuke as well. Tenzou was the only exception as he was the only even remotely sane one on their team.

"Ah, yes," he returned. "You know that I, as a shinobi, love nothing more than to encourage my fellow shinobi to make poorly informed decisions."

Now she really was annoyed. "You're saying that relying on my own senses and intellect is poor information?" It further grated that with her voice as high and breathy as it was, it didn't carry the note of danger it normally would.

Turning his head slightly he looked directly at her. "But are you judging him on this interaction alone, or are your impressions shaded by all the rumor you've likely heard about him?"

She gazed at him curiously. "You're claiming the things I've heard about him being a rapacious flirt are false?" she asked, a hint of wry humor back in her voice.

"I'm saying it's rumor, and like most rumor only about half of it is true. He's a flirt; he also has a few women who were less than pleased at their inability to hold on to him and painted unflattering pictures of him." He shrugged. "Most everyone has gossip spread about them behind their backs. I don't much care about it but I don't like seeing it bear any weight against those who I know deserve better."

To be honest Sakura was a bit stunned. Frankly she'd had no idea he cared so much, or at least in such a way, about those he was close to. She knew from their years together that he wasn't concerned at all about the rumor mill, so the fact that he was mindful of its impact on those around him was novel. It made her wonder if he'd ever had such conversations with people about Naruto. About _her_. 

Their notoriety made them something of public figures, and as such were often the target of gossip, not that they themselves heard most of it. She did know though that Naruto was still painted as much more of an idiot than he actually was - she wasn't sure if it was just maturity with age or his grooming under Tsunade that had helped more with the improvement - but he was much sharper than many people gave him credit for. Konoha had grown to love him as a son, and while most people thought of him as something as a mascot for the town, they still spoke of him as a goofy but loveable idiot.

She knew that she herself had felt the need to speak up for him a few times when she'd heard people talking about things that were just out of hand, but she'd never even considered that Kakashi might do the same thing. 

Looking up at him, she considered him in a new light. She bet there were all kinds of things like this that she didn't know about him, but a slow smile crept across her face as she realized that she could now figure them out, under the guise of Moriko. Idly, she wondered how much of her ignorance was born out of her own tunnel-vision as seeing him as a sensei only, not necessarily a whole person, and how much was because of him. Perhaps he felt like he had to keep himself slightly apart from them in order to keep their respect? Maybe he figured that a sensei wasn't to be on _too_ familiar terms with his subordinates, as that would only encourage even more pranks from Naruto, insulting pseudo-compliments from Sai, and maybe more girl talk and complaints from her. She was sure Tenzou would treat him with the same hero-worship he always did no matter what.

This was turning out to be a more interesting mission than she'd anticipated already.

Kakashi cocked his head. "What are you so amused about?"

"And how can you tell I'm amused?" she asked, seeing no sense in denying it. It would be useful though to know just precisely how he could tell; she might need to utilize that information later on.

"Your whole body is practically thrumming with it," he laughed.

The last gave her pause. She was pretty sure she'd now heard him laugh more in this ten minute conversation than she normally did in an entire day otherwise - well, unless Naruto was being particularly creative. 

Then his words hit her and she froze. It was likely there was nothing more to it, that Kakashi was merely more relaxed in his speech patterns with Moriko. But she couldn't help but feel there was just the slightest hint of flirtation to his words. Then again, she'd only ever interacted with him as student and teacher, and most people were generally friendlier outside of 'professional' relationships. It had just never occurred to her that Kakashi was a person and might have relationships. She supposed he wasn't the only one guilty of pigeon-holing.

Part of her hoped with a kind of sadistic glee that he was flirting with her just the slightest bit. When her mission was successfully completed and she was able to reveal who she was without compromising herself, it would be the best blackmail material ever. She might even be able to get him to treat _her_ to lunch on occasion, instead of skipping out himself from time to time.

Though now that she thought about it, that whole situation should've been a give away. Kakashi had always, since the formation of Team 7 until now, suspiciously 'forgotten his wallet' when it came time to pay for lunch. Not all the time, but often enough to be annoying, that was for sure. She'd finally pulled him aside one time, feeling it her duty as the kind of team mom, and harangued him for it. She'd been sure it was either some kind of skill test or simply a test of loyalty, to see how long they'd continue to pay for their forgetful sensei. After that she'd yelled at him, griped that they'd proven their loyalty, and gone off about how irresponsible it was for a grown man to have a bunch of poor kids paying for him.

He'd quietly borne it all, then said some things that surprised her. She could afford it - it was cheap enough as it was, and it wasn't like he did it every week or anything. Sasuke could certainly afford it. When Sai came on later they were all a bit better off, with better pay-grade missions now. Besides, not only had he not spent much of his money while still in Root, after he'd gotten out and joined Team Kakashi his paintings had sold quite well. Aside from the inherent talent and beauty, apparently people found art made by someone so 'emotionless' to be quite interesting. As for Naruto, Kakashi had confessed he quietly snuck money into the blonde's apartment from time to time. The kid never had his place terribly organized, so when he found a bit of money tucked under his futon or crumpled inside a teapot he hadn't used in months, he just assumed it was stuff he'd misplaced.

That right there should have been Sakura's first clue about the fact that Kakashi was at least a little bit different than the image he portrayed to them. She couldn't believe a short conversation with him here and now was bringing her to this realization, but there it was.

Now she had a new, more personal mission: she was totally taking him down. Once she was through with him he wouldn't be able to hold himself apart from their team anymore. No, she'd had more than enough of that for a lifetime.

She shook her head. All that was fine, but it was something to think of another time. Right now she had a mission to do, and now that she'd run into Genma of all people, she was sure plenty of people would soon know about the young, uptight new ANBU recruit.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Kakashi-senpai, but I really should be off. Things to do, people to kill, you know how it goes."

"Really, giving away mission details now, are you?"

She snorted. "Please. It's a saying. You're not _that_ old, are you?"

A pause before he took a step back. She knew she hadn't actually offended him; it was more likely he was didn't see any reason to deign that with a response. "Be safe on your mission, Moriko."

"How did you-" she began before realizing the answer herself. He knew her code-name because he'd been listening in to her conversation with Genma. He couldn't been bored, watching his partner's back, or checking on her, given his knowledge of Genma's proclivities. Who knew? Hopefully she'd have a chance to get more insight into his non-professional mind from here on out. 

Then with a nod she gathered her pack and started out of the clearing. She didn't look back, not wanting to give him any chance to wonder about why she hadn't taken to the trees. Then again, given that he'd been ANBU and he apparently knew it was her first op, he might already surmise the state of affairs. Regardless, she needed to screw her head back on straight and stop thinking about superfluous things. She had two more campsites to stop at, but after her success at this one she wasn't nearly as worried about how things would go there. Even if these two were the only ones she ran into it would be enough.

For now she needed to center her mind and ruminate on all the possible things she could find at the attack site tomorrow. She hoped she would find something, no, she knew she would find something. She couldn't let Tsunade-shishou down.

More than that, she couldn't let down the shinobi who'd been attacked, the families who needed answers, if ever un-classified answers were to be found. She owed it to them and she would do everything in her power to make sure the perpetrators were caught.

~ ~ ~

**A/N:** This was the most difficult chapter to write. Kakashi had to seem slightly OOC to Sakura, and thus to us, but not so far out that it was beyond believable. A hard line to balance and I retried their scene multiple times. Still not entirely happy with it but it's time to move on.

Again, thanks to all of you who are entertained by this story, who read it, who encourage me to keep it up. So yay all of you! And as always, if you see any errors please feel free to point them out.


	7. Grueling

**Chapter 7: Grueling**

~ ~ ~

Sakura thanked her lucky stars. After her first stop she didn't have to worry about who she would or would not meet at the other campsites she was going to stop at that day. Genma had a mouth on him that all but ensured that at least a good portion of shinobi would know there was a new rookie recruit amongst the ANBU insisting on sticking to the rules. 

Still, having backup didn't hurt so it pleased her when she did run into a genin group and another pair of jounin further out. 

When she came across the duo - Hiro and Matama - it was nearing sunset, so she did the sensible thing and set up camp with them. It was always wiser to sleep with someone around who could watch your back.

She offered to take the second watch - the one most hated - but Matama outright refused to let her. The other woman insisted that it made no sense since 'Moriko' was headed out on a mission. Since they were on their way back to Konoha, it was safer that one of them take it instead of sending a fellow shinobi out into the field with sleep deprivation. 

Sakura found the gesture oddly sweet and protective, and she wondered briefly if Matama had a history that made her sensitive to the subject. She herself had certainly never traveled with shinobi so generous about watch assignment. Hell, all of Team Kakashi made it some kind of battle to see who could get the best slots. Even Kakashi-sensei. He invariably got first or last watch and he wasn't above pulling rank to get it. 

However, whenever she had her turn she noticed that he was rarely making use of his sleep-roll. Instead, though she never saw him at it, she knew he was acting as a second pair of eyes through the night. How he managed on so little sleep she had no idea; maybe that was why he was so quiet and grumpy all the time. That much sleep deprivation - even if she knew he did laze about like a bum while they were in Konoha - couldn't be good for the constitution. Regardless, why he bothered to fight for the best watch slots she didn't know, unless it was to toughen them up or some crap like that. 

In the end Matama gave Sakura the first watch, which was fine by her as it hadn't exactly been a taxing day. Luckily she didn't have to talk to the two much after that, which made keeping her cover all the easier. She didn't know these two shinobi, but that didn't mean they didn't know her. Being the Hokage's apprentice did keep her somewhat in the public eye. But, whether from tiredness or lack of desire to converse, the two went quickly to sleep, and the night passed quickly. 

They woke Sakura in the morning and said their farewells before heading back to Konoha. She waited until they were long gone before reaching up to check the nearly invisible thread she'd wound around both her head and mask. It wasn't that she didn't trust Hiro and Matama in particular, she just couldn't afford to trust anyone. 

Thankfully, the special knot she'd tied was still intact, which meant they hadn't tried to peek at her face while she slept. That was always nice.

Quickly gathering her things, she stretched herself limber and took off at a run. Now that the basework was done, she was pumped to finally get on to the actual investigating. 

~ ~ ~

It was a little before midday when Sakura arrived at Site A, the location of the first attack they suspected to be part of the chain. What she saw right off the bat wasn't promising.

The location was obviously aged and at least somewhat spoiled. There were animal tracks from at least three deer, a variety of rodents, and a rabbit - if she didn't miss her guess - in the loose, dry ground. The area was wind windblown, with twigs, grass, and leaves strewn about with lines and swirls marked in the dirt. At least there hadn't been heavy rain in the area or the ground would be completely worthless to her. 

Scanning her immediate surroundings, she quickly found the nin's death marker and gravitated toward it, trying to fight back chills as she did so. 

A death marker was different than a gravestone; the second was a memorial to the dead but the first was a warning to the living. It was to let those nearby know what had happened in that location, lest they be caught unawares - either by the same circumstances that had caused the death or by the victim's restless spirit.

Just to be safe she knelt and offered a prayer at the marker, one to the spirit of the dead shinobi, that he might find rest, enlightenment, or the path of reincarnation quickly, and another to any kami that might be listening or hold sway over this region, that her comrade would find his way easily. Satisfied she'd done all she could to ward off spiritual interference, she stood and examined the marker. 

Of course shinobi died for all sorts of reasons out in the field. The most feared but, perhaps surprisingly, the least common was the ambush or other enemy attack. However there were natural causes as well, such as a heart attack or stroke. These sometimes occurred even in young nin and weren't as rare as one would hope. Plus there was a whole assortment of other reasons as well, the main being either stupidity or bad luck. The latter consisted of things like being poisoned on a mission, escaping, but not being able to get home in time to get the antidote. The former consisted of things like getting injured on a mission and leaving successfully, but instead of taking it easy on the way home or stopping to treat an injury, simply pushing as hard as possible toward Konoha and succumbing to said injuries. 

The stones were marked with characters to show the cause of death to any who cared to know - which was pretty much anyone. Shinobi were notorious paranoid - it was a cultivated skill - and always wanted as much information and detail about a situation as possible. If one found a death marker with an 'A' on it, it let them know an ambush had happened there before, thus it was _not_ a good place to set up camp for the night. 

Natural causes - marked with an 'N' - were just as dangerous. Any shinobi worth their salt knew a heart attack could be mimicked by certain poisons. In most, admittedly mistrustful, nin minds, a death by natural causes - especially while out in the field - simply meant that the enemy had been smarter, faster, or untraceable. 

Then of course there was the ubiquitous 'E', for everything else that didn't fall neatly into the other two categories. Most shinobi were convinced these were either enemy attacks that went too smoothly for the other side, or severe stupidity on the side of the victim. Either way, it was still a place to avoid. 

No one, shinobi or civilian - who knew the system concerning the death markers just as well - lingered around the stones if they could. Aside from the obvious concerns about the safety of the site, it was all too possible for vengeful or unsettled spirits to be wandering around. And it was why Sakura was going to do her job as quickly, though efficiently, as possible. She wanted to be on her way before sundown. Besides, it helped her keep to her timetable, which she always held in high importance. She wondered idly if that was natural inclination or a learned response to a certain teacher.

Sakura headed toward the tree closest to the marker, knowing it was the thing most likely to still show signs of a struggle. A quick inspection revealed a good amount of missing bark and a few score marks consistent with a short blade like a kunai or something similar. With the amount of customized weapons these days it was impossible to know for sure. 

She broadened her search, looking at all the other nearby trees, since they were the least affected by weathering, but found only more of the same. Some trees were missing bits of bark here and there, and while many had shallow cuts or scratches, none were nearly so deep as those by the marker, meaning that was likely the particular spot where he'd received the fatal blow. 

Taking to the tree tops, she was suddenly immensely grateful for the small bit of chakra-free training she'd done with Lee. Luckily he'd seen it as more of a challenge to make her be creative in her adaptation as opposed to an actual spar, because without her chakra she'd have been beaten handily and completely. Then of course there were the times that Kakashi felt like being lazy or just plain mean and made them spar without chakra just for the hell of it. The jerk. 

Still, it had done its work. With some creative acrobatics she was in among the branches, able to deftly hop from tree to tree where thick branches overlapped, even if her balance wasn't quite as stable without being able to rely on her chakra. Luckily, up at this height, she was able to see even more. If she squinted just right, she thought she might be able to see some gouges in the dirt, some scuffing that could be the place where most of the ground fighting had occurred. She noted the exact location so she could check it out later, once she was back on the ground.

Along the branches, though, she found several bare sections, the exposed skin of the tree marred by the toughened sole of a shoe pushing off with considerable force. Obviously a decent amount of the fighting, if not most, had taken place up here. She even found a group of bare spots on several separate but closely-knit trees that all pointed toward and converged on the same spot. So either the victim and assailant had come back to the same location multiple times - unlikely, though possible if one had left behind a favored weapon or something similar - or there had been multiple assailants, which was most likely.

Setting up an ambush with only one person had a lower success rate and was typically only used as a last resort or if utter delicacy and/or covertness was needed. Neither seemed to be the case here - considering they didn't bother to disfigure the body or cover signs of their attack - so she tentatively concluded that, yes, there had been multiple attackers. How many, though, was still impossible to determine. 

Hopping out of a tree and landing in a crouch, she carefully made her way to the spot she'd noticed earlier, taking care to mark out the newer footprints that were evidence of her own passage. With careful inspection, after picking up and setting aside all the leaves and other detritus obscuring the place, she was able to successfully identify two partial footprints. Of course, they were from generic sandals that could belong to just about anyone, so they were no use in identifying the attackers, but at least it was something. Frankly she was glad be getting any concrete evidence out of this site. She just hoped that something she took back with her would be of use later on.

Finally, taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the last place she needed to inspect. Spinning on her heel she walked back to the death marker, unconsciously holding her breath to prevent smelling any lingering scent of death or decay. She turned her eyes to the ground immediately in front of the marker, kneeling down in front of it. Saying a quick apology for disturbing the site, she leaned over to look more closely at the ground. 

It was mostly what she'd expected. There was a good deal of ground made hard, dark from the blood the body had pumped out and lain in until it was recovered. Of course, much of it was gone, the local fauna having pecked and licked it up as food. 

It was too much. The pain from her scalp, the stress of the mission, the way she'd had to both deal with being chakra blind and physically pushing herself, and now this. Nausea roiled in her gut and she bolted, making it twenty yards before expelling the contents of her stomach onto the damp grass. After a few moments she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, flopping onto her back she gazed up at the sky, watching the branches bend and weave in the wind, and just taking a minute to re-center herself. 

It wasn't like death was new to her. Not only was she a shinobi but she worked in a hospital for pity's sake. She supposed it was just the combination of everything that was affecting her - the pain, the fatigue, the reminder of how small and insignificant they all were.

It didn't matter to the world that this shinobi had died. The world kept on spinning and his blood provided sustenance for others - as his body would have done as well if they hadn't retrieved it as a memorial, to be interred in the ground. Where he'd be food for insects and worms instead.

She shuddered. It just seemed all so impersonal. But she supposed it was. His death really only mattered to some people in Konoha - a mere handful when compared with the world's population at large - and maybe to the political scene to some extent. Such a small drop, really.

She knew it was more than that, though, that life was made up of a multitude of different experiences and relationships, even small moments affecting the whole and those around them. Ultimately, she couldn't decide which was the sadder case - that to nature their lives were insignificant, just a turning of the wheel, or that humans were really the only ones to have discovered the significance yet. 

Exhaling slowly, she stood to her feet, making sure her stomach was back on an even keel. After all, she really didn't want to end up having to investigate around her own vomit. But really, this was not the time to be having an introspective moment. On a solo mission, deep undercover, and investigating a possible series of ambushes that could point toward a dangerous enemy? Yeah, totally the time to let her mind wander.

Laughing at herself, she pulled a sheaf of paper out of her pack and set about the tedious task of taking rubbings. Of everything. Never knew if something might come in handy down the line.

The slashes in the tree bark might be able to prove or disprove this and a later site being linked - or at least targeted by the same individual with the same weapons preference or technique. Or if any enemy was captured it could prove or disprove their connection.

Also, the amount of bark that came off a tree branch from the thrust of one particular individual pushing off was generally about the same, as this person would consistently have the same body mass, muscle strength and tension, and technique, among other things. Similarities and dissimilarities between this and other locations would be useful later on.

Even the footprints she found _could_ be useful. Though just partials, she'd be able to determine the shoe size from the copy. If it didn't match that of the victim, from there she could _loosely_ determine a physique - height, gender, build. While those were just general guidelines and not always accurate, at least it was something to start with.

Then there were the vials of dirt. With all her rubbings done she turned her attention to this task, gathering her vials from an assortment of locales. However she took three samples from the area with the victim's blood so she could check for poison. His body had been tested and came up negative for toxins, but there were some that evacuated the body almost instantly and new ones were being concocted all the time, so it never hurt to double check. The others she took with no real hope but crossed her fingers that luck - or vengeance - might be on her side and something might show up.

If, for instance, they'd used exploding tags - which was unlikely since she didn't see any singed foliage - some residue might still linger in the surrounding area. If they were incompetent shinobi - which she doubted, considering their success rate - or just in a hurry, then they might have shed evidence of their passage. Nothing so ridiculous as a scrap of fabric on a low hanging branch, no. She was looking for things like foreign seeds - even leaves or twigs, as some liked to chew on them - that had latched on to their clothing and hair but gotten dislodged during the fighting. Even dirt left behind by their shoes could be useful, since the exact composition varied from place to place. 

However it had been so long though that she doubted that even had she been lucky and they'd left such a trail, that any of it remained. Even if some had, how likely was she to pick the exact right spots and scoop it up in these tiny little vials? Unlikely was being optimistic. Still, she was nothing if not thorough.

She spent another hour going over the place, making sure that she'd missed nothing, that she'd copied and sampled _everything_ , before packing up and hefting her bag. Putting a hand to her eyes she squinted at the bright sky, estimating it was a little more than two past noon. If she pushed hard she could probably be home a little while after midnight. She'd prefer that to sleeping out in the open again while in such imperfect disguise.

She knew she'd have to sleep on her missions again at some point - some of them were just too far away, and too much lack of sleep made nin sloppy. But until she had functioning chakra again, and could set wards, charms, and even traps for enemies and curious allies alike, she felt naked. Exposed.

That was always a dangerous feeling.

She made another mental note to contact Tenzou as soon as she got home, asking him if he could start training first thing in the morning. Sleep could wait; this could not.

Newly determined, she shifted her pack on her shoulders and took off running.

~ ~ ~

Getting home around 1am, Sakura immediately sank onto her bed, then groaned as she remembered the things she had to do. First was getting rid of the disguise. Her ANBU uniform went into a specially crafted, triple-warded cabinet that Shizune had made herself. After that she trudged to the bathroom and chopped her hair off at the chin, setting the remains aside carefully to toss into the fireplace later, then pulled herself into the shower to start the tedious process of washing out her hair dye. Seventeen washes and an hour and a half later, she finally had pink hair again. 

Staggering out of the shower half asleep, she absent-mindedly wrapped a towel around herself and grabbed the brown hair sitting on the counter. Heading to the fireplace, she threw it on top of the couple logs and kindling already in set in there. Too exhausted for building it the old fashioned way, she settled on a small exploding tag to get things going, smiling as the fire bloomed to life right away and then crinkling her nose at the smell of burning hair. 

Now finally she could get to sleep. She made two clones, sending them off before lying down and falling almost instantly into slumber. One clone went to the Hokage's office to report her return. Even if Shizune or Tsunade wasn't there - and it seemed like one always was, regardless of the hour - then she could report her return to the nin on duty and consider it done. She'd have to talk to her shishou about the mission later regardless, but it was best to let them know of her safe return as soon as possible, given the nature of the mission.

The other clone she sent to Tenzou to make her request for immediate training. She didn't know if he'd be able to accept, since she didn't know his mission line-up or other obligations, but she figured the sooner she asked the easier it'd be. Hence she didn't feel bad about waking him up at this hour; they all did what they needed to in order to make sure the mission got done. She'd have gone herself but she was just too physically spent and besides, she had plenty of chakra to spare.

That clone dissipated twenty minutes later, the sudden influx of new knowledge jarring her awake and letting her know that Tenzou had agreed to her request and she now only had two and a half hours before she had to get up. She groaned aloud, her head hitting the pillow with a thud before falling quickly back asleep.

~ ~ ~

**A/N:** Just got back and finished this on the plane, so figured I may as well post it before hitting the hay. Sorry if there are any glaring errors or anything. Things should start picking up a bit in the next chapter or two.


	8. Hitch

**Chapter 8: Hitch**

~ ~ ~

Sakura dragged herself in the door of her apartment, going on auto-pilot more than anything. She'd spent all day training with Tenzou and had little to show for it.

At least she'd shown _some_ improvement. She'd actually managed to suppress her chakra three times to the point where he couldn't sense it anymore, even sitting right next to her. None had lasted for more than a few seconds, but hey, it was something.

It helped when she finally had a mental image of what it felt like. Tenzou - always the literalist - had said that to him it felt like being tightly wrapped in something invisible. To other shinobi he knew of, he'd continued, the sensation had been described in a whole assortment of ways, from sweeping themselves clean (whatever that meant) to drowning in a bubble to having a duplicate 'ninja-self' that was made smaller and smaller until it all but disappeared, just lurking in the corners and able to be called out at any time.

She, however, couldn't make sense of any of that. She hadn't quite grasped the doing of it until she felt it for herself, and it was like nothing so much as trying to smooth all the ripples out of a running stream. With a blanket. How that made sense she had no idea, but now that she'd tasted what it felt like, knew the odd, disorienting sense it left on her, all she needed to do was work on her endurance.

That was what they'd be working on tomorrow. Then there was testing it under stress - such as sleep deprivation, surprise, or attack - and seeing if her chakra leaked through or if her suppression held.

She slunk into bed only to wake up and do the same thing the next day. This time, after spending sixteen hours training with Tenzou she could hold the suppression for five minutes, even amid distractions such as Tenzou attempting his 'scary' faces, which made it harder to focus than she would've thought considering how unintentionally funny they were.

The third day provided something of a hiccup. She walked into the tiny training ground they were using only to find a wooden totem erected right in the middle, the word 'Mission' scrawled across its front. Apparently Tenzou wasn't going to be joining her today, and who knew how long he'd be away. No supervised training in the near future then.

That wasn't too bad though. Now that she'd figured out the feel for it, she could practice on her own. The only major drawback to not having someone there with her was in their ability to let her know if she was 'leaking' chakra. While that was inconvenient, it was hardly her biggest concern at the moment as she needed to focus primarily on endurance. When she got good enough to worry about the quality of her technique she'd figure something out if Tenzou still wasn't around.

Maybe she could pester Shizune or Tsunade, practicing in the office and having them tell her if they were suddenly able to sense her. Or, if they thought it a bad idea to make it so obvious she was working on suppressing her chakra, she could always just work with her own clone, despite how much less chakra that would leave her with. After all, it worked for Naruto, right?

So she set to, sitting in a sunny patch of grass in the middle of the small clearing, closing her eyes and breathing deeply to clear her mind. It wasn't until hours later that she opened her eyes, surprised to see the sun setting beyond the horizon. It wasn't all that unusual to lose track of time while training, but to lose that much - especially when working on a new jutsu that often felt like pulling teeth - did catch her off guard. Her stomach chose that exact moment to rumble its protests and she laughed. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and now that she realized it she was far too famished to take the time to make something at home. Take out it was.

Rising into a stretch and wincing when her back popped several times, she decided she'd take her food over to the hokage tower. She felt like all of this work on her mission had made her somewhat remiss - even if unintentionally or unavoidably - in her other duties. She'd look in and see if Shizune or Tsunade needed help with any projects or paperwork. If not (which was a laughable idea, but did happen from time to time) then she'd meander over to the hospital and see how she could help out over there.

After all, tomorrow the only thing she had to look forward to was more of the same training, which was great for quick improvement but was quite monotonous. Anything to break that up would be nice, even if it was work.

Stretching her legs out one last time, she took to the trees with an enormous leap, flying through the branches at dizzying speeds and glorying in the absurd overuse of her chakra.

~ ~ ~

Sakura cracked open an eye, only two hours into her morning training, to see a masked ANBU operative crouching in front of her. She couldn't decide between rolling her eyes or glowering at his overly-dramatic entrance - like he really needed to crouch just to prove how close he could get to her. When she was focused on other things and very obviously not paying attention, no less. Opting just to shrug at him, she opened her other eye to let him know he had her full attention. A smile played on her lips though; either he was new to ANBU or just naturally really uppity. Either way she could probably use that or something similar in her own cover.

He leaned forward just a bit before saying, "The hokage wishes to see you. Now." Then, message delivered, he started to fuzz at the edges ever so slightly before just disappearing entirely, without so much as a puff of smoke like Kakashi-sensei.

She whistled while gathering her supplies and taking off toward the tower, worry pulling at her for the way Tsunade had chosen to summon her. Choosing to distract herself while running, she thought about the ANBU operative again.

She had to admit, if she had such an awesome teleportation jutsu down, (or any teleportation really, she'd never had the opportunity to train with one) then she'd use it _all_  the time. Grocery shopping? * _Poof_ * At the store. Need to tell Naruto he's being an idiot and then make a grand exit? _*Poof*_ Need to harass Kakashi-sensei for his choice in literature? Poof in, grab book, then poof out. It'd be amazing. She might just need to prioritize that in her training schedule in the future.

Then again, she'd heard they took immense amounts of time to master. That ANBU operative had either started young learning that jutsu or had a natural affinity for it. Then there were the rotten cheaters like Kakashi-sensei who just got to copy the jutsu with their fancy eyes.

Reaching the base of the tower in minutes - it was oh so wonderful to be able to use her chakra full out - she raced inside, ignoring the startled aids she passed.

She was up at the top before she knew it, but despite her rush she took a moment to collect herself before entering the office. If Tsunade caught her breathing heavily after such a short run - even if most, if not all of it, was due to surprise and niggling worry - she'd kick her ass and have her back in basic training before she could blink.

After waving down the hall at Izumo - who'd popped his head in to see what all the commotion about - she quickly ducked into the office, closing the door behind her.

"You requested to see me, Tsunade-shishou?" she asked tensely.

The blonde looked up from her mountain of paperwork with an expression that bordered on giddy relief - because anything that distracted her from that hell was welcome - and Sakura relaxed immediately. If Tsunade was using her as an excuse to get out of paperwork then it likely wasn't too bad.

"Yes. I want you to let your team know that your training with Kakashi for tomorrow is canceled, as I've pulled him for a mission. Might as well let everyone know they have a free day as Kakashi likely won't have the time to inform you all, or just won't bother."

Sakura blinked. "I-I can do that. Was that all?"

The hokage's face turned calculating and Sakura knew her fate had been set from the moment she'd stepped foot in the room.

"Well, as long as you're here, why don't you help me out with some of this paperwork?"

She glared. Tsunade _knew_ she was supposed to be training right now, and that was supposed to be just a bit of a priority, but she gave in to inevitability, pulled up a chair, and planted herself down at the desk with a sigh. Tsunade must be really behind if she was pulling her from something all three of them had deemed so important.

Silence reigned in the room, the only sound that of pens scratching on paper. Then Tsunade did something utterly out of the ordinary - she lit the small burner that sat on the corner of her desk. Its presence was already strange, as the older woman typically only had it out during the winter months, either to heat the immediate area, to heat sake, or to make tea, to which liberal amounts of alcohol were usually applied. And considering that it was both warm out, and that Tsunade was putting effort into getting her work done and thus unlikely to choose that moment to get drunk, the burner made no sense.

But Sakura knew that, while they were all prone to little quirks and moments of madness, this seemed planned out enough that Tsunade probably had something else in mind. That was confirmed when Tsunade passed her the first note.

_Don't say a word. We're having a silent conversation, understood?_

When Sakura nodded her acquiescence Tsunade slipped the small piece of paper into the burner, watching every last bit of evidence burn away.

_There was another attack_ , she wrote.

Sakura looked up at her shishou, surprised, then leaned across her to grab her own sheet of blank paper.

_When?_

_A couple days ago.  Another lone jounin. Her body was found and recovered quickly and quietly. She was on a simple mission, one which gave no excuse for her late return, so a team was sent out._

Sakura took a moment to absorb those words. _Cause of death?_ she wrote back succinctly. They were in a crunch to exchange as much information as possible as secretly and subtly as possible and avoid being caught at it. Superfluous questions and better worded responses were pointless at the moment.

_She was the most cut up of any shinobi thus far, so we assume either she put up one hell of a fight or the assailants were toying with her. Still checking her system for toxins, but apparent death is from a blade to the chest, driven through her back._

_Where was it?_

Tsunade sniffed before pausing to move all her other paperwork safely away from the burner. She then doused the sheet they'd been writing on with sake before putting it to the flame, keeping a glass of water handy just in case the blaze got out of hand with the added fuel. After a suitable wait, during which Sakura had entertained herself by idly working some mindless paperwork, the blonde pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

In response to Sakura's raised eyebrow at her actions, her first words were, _The smell._

Her mouth formed a small 'o' as realization hit. The smell of burning paper, while incredibly faint thus far, could be detected, especially by clans with extremely sensitive senses of smell. Throwing alcohol on the flame not only covered the scent with a stronger one, but if anyone came asking then Tsunade could play it off that she was drunk and had burned some paperwork - either on accident or to prevent having to do them.

She smiled. This was why her mentor had been picked for hokage. Sure, she was beautiful, talented, and could hit like a sledgehammer, but she was crafty, devious, and brilliant, which was even more important in the world of politics. Sakura scribbled, _I love you,_ and Tsunade smirked smugly before pulling the paper close again.

_You'll find out just how close the site is when you go there tomorrow. You leave bright and early, and given the proximity, how recent it was, and the fact you can't fully suppress your chakra yet, you'll have a partner. Since Tenzou is already out on a mission you'll be going with Kakashi._ That _is why he won't be able to train your team tomorrow._

Sakura inhaled sharply in surprise and had to fake a sneeze to cover for it. _Kakashi-sensei?_ she wrote, staring holes into her mentor. _But he knows me so well. What if he figures out who I am?_

_Do you have any better suggestions?_ Without even waiting for a response, she continued, _We know he's trustworthy. I'd bet my life on the fact that he'd never turn on Konoha. If we do have a mole, he's certainly not involved. That being said, even if he does figure out your identity he both has the finesse to not react to it immediately and we can rest assured he won't out you. He might come to either you or me with questions, but that would be about it._

Even though most of the sheet was still blank, Tsunade put that one immediately in the fire. Turning back to Sakura with a challenging look, she waited for a reply. Sakura glared back while furiously thinking through her options.

Kiba was something of an obvious choice. Because their sensitive sense of smell meant they could identify anyone, disguise or no, everyone in the Inuzuka clan was given extra training in matters of secrecy from a very young age. Thus they were often the ones entrusted with more _delicate_ tasks for Konoha; their history and skills made them particularly suited and they'd never yet had a major breach.

Honestly, it made Sakura wonder briefly why Tsunade-shishou hadn't picked Kiba, or even his older sister Hana, for this mission instead of her. She supposed it was the same reason that she, for all his skills and qualifications, wouldn't make him first choice for her partner.

There was a difference between personal and professional trust. Even though she knew Kiba would have her back, would protect her secret, it wasn't the same kind of trust she had with those she'd had to depend on, day-in and day-out, for years. Just like Tsunade had picked someone close to her for this mission, Sakura knew she would feel more confident going into this next assignment with one of her teammates.

Who just happened to also be the ones who'd find it easiest to identify her. Drat.

Naruto was immediately her last choice though. Not only did he know her the best, and therefore was the most likely to recognize her, but he just didn't yet have the restraint to not immediately shout his surprise and start asking questions, regardless of their surroundings or the situation. Hence why he was currently in political training, because no one without at least a minor capacity for intrigue and secrecy could be Hokage.

And then there was Sai, who for all his improvements over the years was still a bit off. There was just no way to completely negate years of having the emotions and all related understanding trained out of him. Ino, of course, claimed she understood him perfectly fine and that there was nothing odd at all about this behavior anymore, at least no more than the average Team Kakashi member. But Ino claimed she had masterful understanding of everyone, especially males, so Sakura didn't put too much faith in that.

Besides, while she knew she could trust Sai implicitly, she just couldn't always trust his sense of judgment in new situations. For all she knew, if he discovered her identity, he could think it all a grand joke, a prank, or even a test of his skill and cunning. After all, she'd never done any serious undercover work before, small things with Team Kakashi notwithstanding. Playing the dumb, drunk girl at the bar to cozy up to their mark or pretending to be a customer of a casino or inn to case the place better weren't the same kind of gig at all.

Unfortunately Sai just wasn't _predictable_ enough in new scenarios. She could always get around that by letting him in on the secret beforehand, but damn it, she wanted to prove she could do this, to herself if no one else. Tsunade wouldn't blame her for letting essential, trustworthy people know if it was necessary. Heck, she'd already suggested it with Kakashi, but it was a challenge she wanted to know she could rise to.

She wasn't built for subterfuge, not like Ino was, but she wanted to show her abilities weren't solely concentrated in particular areas. That she could do anything required of her, even if it didn't play to her strengths and wasn't a field of her expertise. She wanted to be worthy of the trust Tsunade-shishou, Shizune-senpai, and Konoha in general had placed in her. She didn't want to let them down in any way, and she felt like taking even a small step toward revealing her identity would be starting off in the wrong direction.

And since Tenzou was out on a mission, resulting in this whole mess in the first place, that pretty much put her right back at square one with Kakashi being the best choice.

She grit her teeth and glared. _Fine_ , she wrote tersely, feeling no need to elaborate on the fact that her mentor had been right all along.

The smug smile on Tsunade's face said it all though.

Sakura pointedly looked away as she wrote, _What are the details?_

Tsunade was instantly all business again for which Sakura was grateful, as she was already having trouble remaining silent and not letting out an irritated grunt. Though, she supposed that wouldn't be entirely out of place while doing piles of paperwork either.

_You meet Kakashi tomorrow morning at seven. I told him six, and granted that you're new to him, he'll likely only be about an hour late in an attempt to at least be somewhat polite. The body was recovered this morning and we estimate the attack happened two days ago, so the area should still be fresh for you._

_Who was it?_ Sakura wrote.

Tsunade paused before replying. _I can't tell you that yet._

Sakura inhaled sharply as the paper went into the fire. That meant either the family hadn't been informed yet - because they almost always had the right of first notification - or it was someone she knew, at least vaguely, and they needed to make sure she was able to maintain her objectivity.

Exhaling slowly, she nodded once to indicate her understanding. Tsunade seemed almost proud of her for her easy acceptance, for her willingness to just do what needed to be done and not argue the point, which made Sakura feel marginally better.

_I assume you still haven't mastered chakra suppression?_ It had only been days since they'd last talked about it, after all.

Sakura shook her head.

_All right then. I just need to plan accordingly for how long it might take you to complete the mission. Shizune and I are already working on a couple different cover stories to explain your absence, depending on how long you're actually gone._

_How far away is the location?_

_Six hours, with chakra._

Sakura sat up straight, almost snatching the pen away from Tsunade. _That close?_

The hokage sank deeper into her chair. _They're getting bolder. I don't like what that portends._

Filled with new determination, Sakura penned back, _I'll figure out what's happening. I swear._ To her gratification Tsunade seemed to perk up a bit and even smiled, though it was a bit sad.

_I know you will._ But they both knew there were no such things as guarantees in the world of shinobi.

_Like I said, six hours with chakra, so I expect it will take you at least twice as long without - unless you think you could convince Kakashi to piggy-back you all the way there and back._

The mental image that conjured was so ridiculous that Sakura couldn't help but laugh. She covered it by saying, "Oh, shishou, you just have to read this report. It's a doozy," and then shuffling some papers around.

_I'll take that as a no,_ she wrote and Sakura could hear Tsunade's dry tone in her head perfectly. She knew just as well as Sakura did how unlikely that scenario was. The only time either of them had ever seen him perform said action was to carry someone too injured to walk. In fact, he tended to eschew physical contact at all unless it was part of training.

_So 7am, we'll travel to the location - which I assume you've told Kakashi or you'll give me specifics. I have him wait at a safe distance, keep watch while I investigate, then we return._

_Basically. I have told Kakashi the location but you should know at least the generalities. It's on the west side of the country in the densest part of the forest, which I hope is the sole reason the enemy was able to attack so close._

_In that thicket? It's a wonder the body was found in just two days then._

Tsunade was still for a long moment after that and Sakura had to wonder what specifics regarding the case was on her mind, whether there was some odd story behind it or whether she was just sad at the loss of one of her villagers.

_That's all, I think. Anything else you need before heading out?_

Sakura shook her head.

_Good. Then you want to help me with some paperwork for a while? After this lengthy conversation I'm even further behind._

Ah, so it was the guilt tactic. Well, it's not like that was out of the norm.

Sakura shrugged but then grabbed the pen back to write, _For a little while. After all, I have a big mission in the morning I have to prepare for._

Tsunade nodded before putting the last paper in the fire and watching it crumble entirely into ash. Then, with a satisfied smile, she put a bottle of sake on to heat, tapping her nose as if to say she needed to further the cover story for why she had the burner on, just on the off chance someone smelled it and wondered.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura still pulled out her own sake cup, then set to the tedious task of attempting to whittle down the pile before her.

~ ~ ~

**A/N:** I can't believe this took so long. I thought it was gonna be one or two pages, if that, and just take a couple days. Guess I showed me. It's still pretty hard for me to write but it's coming along, if slowly. Thanks to everyone for your patience and dedication.

Now on to the next! (Where they finally start really interacting. Yay!)


	9. Initiate

**Chapter 9: Initiate  
**  

~ ~ ~  
 

Sakura started off her mission essentially the same way she had her last one, with one exception. This time she had a partner so she had to make sure to actually be punctual about when she left. On a solo mission, leave times were variable - as long as a shinobi got the mission completed on time it didn't matter if they left fifteen minutes or an hour late.  
 

Technically, since she was partnered with Kakashi-sensei, punctuality wouldn't really matter anyhow, but she had to be wholly immersed in her role as Moriko. She'd have to be on time and not only because she shouldn't know Kakashi's habits all that well. After all, with rumor being Moriko's only basis for this knowledge, she wouldn't know how much had been exaggerated. But also, as a new ANBU recruit meeting someone with a vaunted reputation both within the unit and the city in general, she'd want to be on her best behavior, looking to impress him.  
 

As such, she went straight home and took a nap after her meeting with Tsunade, knowing she'd be up for most, if not all of the night preparing. She got to work at seven that evening, starting on her hair since it took her so long and still made her ill enough that she had to pause multiple times. During those breaks she studied the particulars of the mission, everything from location to approach routes to those things known about the attack that were picked up by those nin who recovered the body.  
 

She lamented the hours she was still stuck in front of the toilet as a waste of time, once again promising herself she'd get better at this _quickly,_ and regretted the amount of water she had consequently downed when she tried to put on her ANBU uniform and felt miserably bloated and stuffed inside of it. She took great care in latching the concealed compartment that housed her ANBU uniform - Shizune herself had come over to create, measure, and ward the secret nook just for the occasion. Sakura had watched over her shoulder to try to get a better understanding of this type of stabilized ward, and Shizune even took a little while to explain it to her after she was done, but they were both too occupied with other, more pressing matters to give much thought to it. Sakura had plenty enough things to try to perfect already so she had no problem sticking the idea of wards on a very far back burner.  
 

Then came the arduous task of applying her tattoo. Her first attempts had been disastrous and even on her first mission she'd had to wear a light jacket to disguise just how shoddy her copy was. It wasn't the design but the texture, the subtle variations in color on skin as different types of light hit it. It wasn't a huge difference but to a shinobi trained to analyze detail it would be like a beacon.  
 

There were too many potential problems with getting a permanent tattoo, even one she could have removed later. Not only did her normal shinobi clothing show too much of her arms - the ink would show in her everyday life - but she had to consider what could happen if she was knocked unconscious for some reason. Medics didn't care anything for clothing or modesty and would cut right through them if needed. There could be any other assortment of reasons the tattoo could get seen as well, and if it was that could spell doom for her mission.  
 

Therefore she'd needed something temporary but strong enough that it would last days at a time, wouldn't smudge, and wouldn't run if it got wet. She'd tried making her own concoctions, like she had with her hair dye, but didn't meet with any amount of success. The ones that stayed put didn't look right, and those that looked right wouldn't stay on properly. Luckily Tenzou had been her saving grace on this one.  
 

Four days ago she'd been venting her frustration to him during their training when he's suddenly gotten the strangest look on his face. He wouldn't say a word about what had been going on in his mind, no matter how she'd wheedled, instead just intensifying her training so she couldn't think about anything else.  
 

The next morning he'd arrived with two bottles of dark liquid and told her he couldn't say where he'd gotten them. Of course she peppered him with questions anyhow, but the only thing he would say was that he'd gotten it as a personal favor from Ibiki - which had taken him weeks to accomplish and why he hadn't had it in time for her previously - and that it 'had its uses'. That was plenty of information in and of itself and her mind went into overdrive considering all the possibilities.  
 

First she looked at Tenzou in a new light; she hadn't known he'd ever been involved with the interrogation squad. It was obvious, now that she'd stopped to think about it. Considering his past and how he'd been used by Orochimaru she supposed it was almost a given. Regardless of whether he'd ever been part of the interrogation squad itself, retrieving intel from others, he'd almost certainly been on the receiving end. Someone would've questioned him thoroughly, and likely periodically over a long period to make sure any repressed memories came to light, about what he'd experienced at Orochimaru's hands and just what the sannin's tactics had been. Considering Tenzou was their comrade they would have handled him with kid gloves, using extreme care to prevent fracturing his mind as they wanted to heal, not hurt him, but they also would've needed to make sure to be completely thorough. It would've been necessary to gather as much information on Orochimaru as possible, making sure he hadn't somehow planted anything in Tenzou's mind, and also helping Tenzou expunge the trauma of the memories.  
 

The real question was whether he was still involved. She tilted her head and squinted at him but the beatific smile he threw at her gave nothing away.   
 

He held the first bottle out to her but pulled it back when she reached for it. "This doesn't exist," he said gravely.  
 

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, technically I don't exist either. I understand the whole secrecy thing, you know."

  
He shook his head. "This is even more serious than that. ANBU doesn't even know of its existence - only a select few in all of Konoha know about it, let alone what it does. If you think there's any chance that either it or you might be compromised then you need to destroy it immediately." At her wary look he crouched down in front of the rock she was sitting on so he could address her face-to-face.  
 

"I'm not privy to all of the details of your mission but I know that if Tsunade is willing to risk you like this, especially on something so far outside anything you've ever attempted or been trained for before, then it must be of the utmost importance."  
 

Smiling softly, he reached out to ruffle her hair. "Once a teammate, always a teammate, and I will do everything I can to help you. I trust you with this, I just need you to understand the gravity of the situation and how vital it is that you protect this."  
 

She took his hand off her head and squeezed it in her own. "Secrets upon secrets, eh?"  
 

"Such is the nature of our business."  
 

She nodded once in response to that and gingerly took the first jar he held out again. "This one will ink your skin, exactly mimicking a black tattoo in color, texture, and all other appearances." She looked at it in appreciation but obviously not enough, as he continued, "The ink cannot be washed off."  
 

Glancing back up at him with widened eyes, she asked, "Really?"  
 

He nodded, allowing just a bit of a smirk to quirk his lips. "Really. The compound is made such that it won't wear, fade, or wash off. The only way you actually _could_ remove it is by removing the skin itself."  
 

"Thanks for that visual." She grimaced. "So what you're telling me is that putting this on is just like getting a real tattoo, just without the needles. I mean, the no pain thing is a plus but I have a hard time seeing how that's a benefit?"  
 

Looking rather disgruntled, he said, "Well if you'd let me continue explaining-"  
 

She waved her hand in the air. "Don't worry about it, you already said enough. This stuff can't be removed short of shedding my skin, and since I'm not reptilian enough for that that isn't happening. I bet this second jar doesn't even have any purpose at all. It's just filled with water to throw people off track if they stumble onto this stuff."  
 

He glared at her. "Why do I put up with you?"  
 

"Because you love me," she beamed up at him, finally giving in to her laugh. "And you're protective of absolutely everyone you meet, and probably even everyone you haven't met. Plus I'm beautiful, charming, intelligent-"  
 

"Yes, yes, I get it," he interrupted before she could keep going. "Are you done harassing me now?"  
 

Fluttering her eyelashes at him, she pouted. "But you make it so easy."  
 

Sighing he finally gave into a laugh. "You're incorrigible."  
 

"I try my best," she confirmed brightly. They both knew how serious this situation was, how serious their jobs and world were in general, and a little levity went a long way even if the timing for it wasn't perfect. "Besides, you know how logically I think and how picky I am about absolutes. As soon as you said this stuff," she held up the first jar, "absolutely could not be removed, no matter what, I just couldn't resist. So I'm guessing the second jar is full of the solvent that removes the ink?"  
 

He nodded, still smiling, and she considered that a win.  
 

"So the ink really won't come off at all without this second solution?"  
 

"Absolutely, and believe me, people have tried. Unless someone happened to stumble across the formula for the solvent, which is pretty complex from what I gather, there's nothing they can use to remove it. Besides, that requires them to believe the tattoo is a fake in the first place, and you won't give them any reason to think that, will you?"  
 

"Of course not," she said with more certainty than she felt, still studying the jars curiously. The solutions were beyond intriguing and she wondered who had developed them in the first place. Then a few more of his words filtered through. "You don't know how to make this then?"  
 

He shook his head. "Like I said, few of us know of its existence, even fewer how to make it. Then again with my skills, even if they told me how to make it I likely wouldn't be able to. But it can be used as a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands and we don't want something like that slipping out into the world."  
 

She had a million more questions, naturally, but he must've already seen them forming on her lips because he held up a hand to forestall her. "That's really all I can tell you. Keep them hidden, keep them safe, and above all keep their existence a secret."  
 

Holding the jars to her chest she nodded solemnly. "That I can do; I promise."  
 

Winking at her and holding a finger to his lips one last time, he turned and walked away, leaving her to go home and experiment with her newfound materials.  
 

It was perfect, of course. Not like she'd expect anything less from Tenzou, especially after everything he'd explained about the liquid's history. She'd practiced endlessly until she could apply the swirls flawlessly.  
 

This formula though...it intrigued her to the point where she had to tell herself that, no, she couldn't take it back to her lab and try to reverse engineer it. And no, it wasn't worth joining the interrogation squad just to learn what other little secrets they might have. If she was cut out for it in the first place then that'd be one thing, but she and Ino both agreed vehemently that she did not have the skill set, temperament, or constitution for interrogation.  
 

It did make her wonder just how, precisely, they used it though. Obviously it was for subterfuge, but just how many manners could it be employed in? She could only imagine two scenarios, both focused on confusing an enemy combatant taken prisoner. The first was disguising the interrogators as ANBU from the enemy's hidden village and trying to convince the prisoner that they were back at home, merely being questioned by their home ANBU to discover if the nin had revealed anything to the 'enemy'. The Konoha interrogators could draw the enemy ANBU mark on themselves. (For this scenario she had to assume that they would simply use interrogators who'd never enlisted in ANBU, or that they had some way of covering their own Konoha ANBU marks if they'd ever been part of that unit. The latter wasn't really a stretch, considering the chemical marvel that was the tattoo ink they'd come up with. It made her irritatingly curious to know what else they, and other units, had cooked up in secret.) Treating the prisoner in a friendly manner, allowing them freedom to interact with the interrogators and try disproving their stories or marks, could break down the prisoner's walls to the point where they'd start talking details of their mission, of all the things they _hadn't_ revealed. Thereby, of course, revealing all of it.  
 

The second was drawing an ANBU tattoo of Konoha on a captured enemy and trying to convince them they were truly from the Leaf Village and had only been brainwashed by the enemy they _thought_ was home. They could give the nin every opportunity to attempt to remove the tattoo or look for other physical proofs or disproofs. Once the enemy nin was convinced they were truly from Konoha, they would spill everything they knew of their homeland, who they would now think of as their true enemy.  
 

Sakura wondered what would become of such a nin after said subterfuge was completed. Would they throw the nin in prison as an enemy soldier? Would they send him back in a prisoner exchange? Or would they continue the charade, integrating him fully into Konoha society without him ever knowing the difference? The higher-ups could always concoct a background story for him about a secret mission no one had known about, or even a secret squad no one had known about, to explain why no one in town knew him. Or they could even use some of the members of various secretive squads to pretend to be old family members or friends, thus more easily keeping an eye on the nin and seeing if he stayed in line or ever started to question the lie he'd been fed.  
 

The more she thought about it the more intriguing and disturbing such a situation seemed to her. Human minds were fascinating, incredibly complex things and were capable of so much. She wondered how many enemy _had_ been successfully integrated into Konoha, and how many of their own they had lost to enemy villages because of such tricks.  
 

She shivered. While part of her understood the need for such politics and mind-play tactics in keeping their village safe from enemies, and both feared and admired the kinds of people capable of pulling them off, she herself much preferred the straight-forward method. That was why she'd never been much cut out for ANBU either, excepting the current mission.  
 

Now, she ran the brush across her arm with a flourish, double checking herself in the mirror before tucking the bottle away in a second, smaller secret compartment that Shizune had helped her set up again on extremely short notice. Luckily for her Shizune didn't ask what it was for this time, as Sakura wasn't sure whether she knew about the liquids and their nature. She didn't have time to ask Tenzou and so defaulted to secrecy. Shizune didn't ask what the second cabinet was for, and she wasn't sure if that was because the brunette could detect her nervousness or was just trying to help her maintain her secrecy when they were outside of Tsunade's office, where she could effectively sound-proof their conversations.  
 

Double-checking to make sure that everything 'incriminating' was secured and there was nothing out in her apartment that could tie her to her ANBU identity, she nodded to herself in satisfaction. Then quadruple-checking her disguise, she made a clone of herself - which did a henge to look like the normal Sakura - and headed out toward the town gate.  
  


Sakura _really_ didn't want to show up on time to meet with Kakashi. After all, years of going on missions with him had taught her that no matter what, he'd show up about an hour or so late. However she reminded herself, yet again, that _Moriko_ couldn't rely on that so she showed up ten minutes early to act the star-struck, admiring newbie. That meant that after all her backtracking with her clone she'd had to leave her apartment an hour and a half early. She'd barely slept and had a pounding headache on top of it, so she wasn't in the best mood to be waiting around forever for her partner to show up.  
 

She kept grumbling about how she could be sleeping just then but made sure to keep her complaints quiet. Couldn't have the gatemen think this goody-two-shoes was irritated already. That would indicate she was loosening up, and no one in town gossiped more than the gate guards, who were witness to who was seen off by who, who waited for someone's return, who was late, who was underprepared, who was injured, who was laughing, upset, too close, too far, etc. The list went on and shinobi were already too adept at reading (or sometimes misreading) body language, so there was always plenty of fodder. She didn't doubt that by this afternoon there would already be talk of her and Kakashi: how late he'd been, how she'd behaved, and whether she'd been frustrated or gracious about his lateness and general lack of decorum. Who knew what else.  
 

Surprisingly enough though Kakashi was only fifteen minutes late. Sakura had to fight to keep the shock from her voice when she greeted him. Maybe he had some sympathy for new teammates or maybe this was some respect he held solely for ANBU. Either way she appreciated it, though she knew she'd now be all the more irritated when he showed up absurdly late for his next meeting with Team Kakashi.

 

 


End file.
